


Lines We Cross

by CQueen



Category: Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Genre: Age Difference, Coming of Age, Gang Violence, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-31
Updated: 2016-05-20
Packaged: 2018-01-10 17:21:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 101,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1162435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CQueen/pseuds/CQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nineteen year old Bane is well on his way to becoming Gotham's latest menace when he is injured during a fight and helped by a police officer, one who strangely enough doesn't seem frightened of him or his mask.  Intrigued and determined to understand Officer Blake, Bane has no idea what he's getting himself into.</p><p>Officer Blake helped Bane because it was the right thing to do, too busy seeking the serial killer known as 'Miranda' to care much about what Bane's getting up to in his city at the moment.  That is until it's made very clear to him that Bane won't be ignored...or easy to forget.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Line Crossed

Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters find themselves in. Thanks very much for reading, I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think. Have a great day!

First Line Crossed

Cop shops smelled like sweat, processed sugars, and bad coffee, additional scents depending on what area you were in and why you were there in the first place. Currently he was waiting to be booked, the furniture, walls, and some of the people around him smelling of fear and anxiety, blood and the stink of bodies that hadn't been washed recently. Even through the mask he wore over his mouth and nose Bane could smell it, the metal contraption he'd designed to strike fear into his enemies not meant to do anything other than that. Two cops had approached him with the obvious intent to remove it, but he'd stared them down and they'd retreated like the cowardly government dogs that they were. It would be interesting to see if they let him keep it on when it was time for his mug shot, as they had on two other occasions when they thought to put him away without the evidence to do so. They underestimated him always, and would continue to do so, he had no doubt.

He worried for Talia though, she would not get out of this so easily. Again and again he'd reminded her that if she carried a blade she needed to make sure it was under the legal limit, but she had disobeyed tonight and been caught. The rival gang they'd been fighting, who were on the opposite side of the room and here for the same reason, had members in the hospital whose flesh had been sliced by that blade and forensics would prove it.

Mentally cursing that fact and the knowledge that he could do nothing about that now, Bane turned his attention back to studying the room and its occupants, using it as a distraction from his worries. He studied the cops, estimating their ages, heights and weight, what their marriage status was, their rank, anything to push to the side the knowing that Talia was somewhere needing him and he was helpless to help her. He didn't know where she was and would be no help to her if he was arrested for resisting arrest or assaulting police officers on his way to seeking her out.

The slight nudge from his side reminded Bane that his closest friend after Talia was there, no doubt picking up on his tension and so silently reminding him, as only Barsad could, that they needed to be cool and collected at the moment. To show these pigs weakness was a cardinal sin.

No one would harm Talia, they would know what would happen if they did. He might only be nineteen in years but he had already made himself a name on the streets. Everyone knew him. The top brass of Gotham's criminal underworld had tried to court him and absorb him into their organizations and the cops gave him a wide berth whenever possible. He was feared. Respected. And he never turned the other cheek. There were men with wounds that would never completely heal on the streets now, visual testaments to what happened to anyone who crossed his precious Talia. She would be fine. He would find her. He'd always found her.

The sound of wild, not terribly creative cursing filled the room and got progressively louder, some of those in the room turning their head to see the cause including Bane. Two male cops were perp walking a third man towards the front of the room, the furious and uncooperative man struggling and cursing and trying to break free of the hold the cops had on him. The pig Bane could see clearly was in his late forties and struggled to keep his hold on his charge, while the other who wasn't totally visible apparently had no problem and spoke with authority and the hint of a sharp, deadly blade for a tongue as he ordered the man to stop struggling.

Another officer came over to speak to the cops, the older cop's words audible as he explained that the guy was being taken to Observation Room E and could he help him get the oily bastard there because Blake was already past shift and the kid needed a social life before he withered away and died.

What the younger cop, apparently named Blake, had to say about that wasn't loud enough to hear, but the other cop nodded and took over, the three moving off and leaving the previously unviewed officer within Bane's line of vision.

Bane's first thought was that he was looking at an officer, the uniform making that clear, the next that the body in that uniform looked slender but fit. Someone who actually took care of their body, no doubt still idealistic and brainwashed by government drones to think what he did was heroic and worthy of admiration. Soon that body would sag, Bane thought cynically, the pig cop getting fat as he stopped caring and got comfortable behind his desk while outside the innocents bled and suffered.

Feeling eyes on him Bane finally raised his higher than the man's shoulders to get his first real look at the officer's face, surprised to feel a-he had no words for this feeling, Bane realized in abstract surprise, the rest of his mind too busy cataloguing the neatly cut dark hair, classic cheekbones and ears slightly too large but appealing nonetheless. Age was hard to guess, the man had a young face, but he'd guess under thirty. There was an awareness in this one's eyes too, a sense that he was one of the few in the room who actually had intelligence and knew the value of being aware of his surroundings. This one had not grown up in some cozy, middle class home Bane somehow knew, his eyes narrowing in a mirror of the cop's own expression. There was something about this one…

And then the cop was moving towards him with strides that ate up the ugly carpeted floor, the officer not stopping or showing any trepidation in approaching him.

Curiosity had Bane making no effort to scare the cop away, his eyes widening slightly when the other man stopped slightly to his right and crouched down, Bane knowing what held the officer's interest the moment he felt fingers carefully brush his bare skin.

"What the fuck? Why the hell wasn't this properly taken care of?"

Bane wasn't sure the words were directed at him but just that quickly the one called Blake was on his feet again and marching over to one of the cops assigned to guard him and his men while they waited to be booked, demanding to know why the hell the suspect's arm hadn't been properly seen to. Had they even given him something for the pain, which had to be extreme since his hands were handcuffed behind his back, stretching the wound out so that it also bled out faster.

The broken bottle used to slash his arm had done some damage but he was too used to pain to care or worry about it overly. Barsad had told him that it wasn't deep enough to need stitches and that was enough for him. The medic had cleaned it up and wrapped it, obviously terrified of him the whole time, and then had all but run in the other direction.

Craning his neck Bane could see that the previously white bandages were very red at the moment, the sight not worrying him overly because again, it was nothing new. Instead he turned his attention to see what Blake was up to since the arguing had stopped, not really surprised to see that the officer was gone. The other cop would have told him who he was and that had been that. No cop in this building would mourn his passing, they'd be fine if he bled out. Not that he would, but he had no delusions about himself, his reputation, or the fact that their promise 'to serve and protect' were hollow words to these men and women.

)

It was fifteen minutes or so later when Bane sensed the cop's approach again, looking up and over to see that it was indeed Officer Blake striding towards him with-with a First Aid kit in one hand. Shocked as his brain came to the most logical conclusion as to why the cop would be carrying that white box Bane once again found himself at a loss for words as the officer came to a stop and once again went down to his knees beside him, setting down the case and opening it.

"I'm going to fix up your arm if I can, or see that you're taken to be stitched up if need be. I'll be as careful as possible, and I know what I'm doing. Lashing out at the person trying to help you will not end well for you, capice?"

Not knowing what else to do Bane settled for giving the cop his strongest, 'you're nothing and I could kill you in a heartbeat' look.

Apparently the cop wasn't smart enough to know possible death when he saw it, because that was definitely a smirk on the slightly older man's face before the cop turned his attention to gently unwrapping the clumsily done bandages, the way the officer cursed the incompetent, useless medic giving Bane back his words.

"Anyone with intelligence fears me."

The cop didn't even look at him. "If she couldn't do her job she should have gotten someone else to do it."

"You don't know who I am."

"Sure I do. You're the infamous Big, Bad Bane. Gotham's latest teenage menace." The cop's voice was a mixture of amusement and derision. And then those big brown eyes were meeting his, the emotions he'd heard in the man's voice in them too. "We might get a lot of guys with masks around here, but yours is pretty distinctive."

"I could snap your neck like a twig."

"And I could snap yours." The cop surprised him by stating, the look in his eyes making Bane believe him. "But at the moment I'm trying to help your steroid filled ass, so what's say we pretend that mask of yours is actually a muzzle?"

Mean, edgy laughter came from across the room. "You tell him, John." More laughter.

The sharp edge was back in the man's tongue as the officer turned to look at the gangbanger whose laughter cut off quickly when 'John' began to speak.

"Shut it, Donny. At least this guy actually makes us work to catch him. Seems I heard the last time you were in here it was because you left your fucking wallet behind after robbing and knocking around some little Asian woman at a convenience store. Around here you're a big laugh."

"Fuck you, John!"

"Not for all the money in the world, Assehole. Now shut it or I'll make sure you and Bane here get better acquainted in lockup."

The man shut it, visibly paling as he looked between the two of them before his gaze dropped to the ground and stayed there.

Bane made sure to heighten the human cockroach's unease by glaring at him for several moments with cold, heartless intent before he allowed his gaze to shift back to the cop who had finished wiping away the fresh blood and was now using butterfly bandages to close up the gash.

Obviously sensing his gaze the cop didn't look up as he informed him that the medic had done a good job of cleaning the wound out, if nothing else. It didn't look like he would need stitches.

Already knowing this Bane found himself speaking before thinking, his voice gruffer than normal behind the mask as he stated that he didn't do steroids or any other drugs. His strength was his own. Why it mattered to him that the cop knew this Bane didn't know, but it suddenly did.

Again Blake glanced up at him, skepticism in his eyes. "Given your age and likely poor diet that's quite the claim."

"I would not sully my body that way."

"You leave that up to your men and the stupid bastards who buy from them, huh?"

"We're not dealers."

"Maybe you aren't, but plenty of your boys are real familiar with Vice and Illegals."

Unable to argue with that, though he'd made it clear to those who joined his and Talia's organization that drug use was strictly prohibited, Bane opted to learn more about this strange cop who seemed intelligent enough to fear him but apparently refused to show or admit to that fact. "Your name is Blake? John Blake?"

"That's Officer Blake to you. But yeah."

"And why don't you fear me?"

Silence for a moment, and then his question was answered with logic he could appreciate. "You aren't completely stupid. Killing me here and now won't get you anything but a life sentence for killing a cop. Not to mention the fact that it would be hard for you to maintain your badass rep in prison with only one arm because you lost this one due to gross stupidity and infection. Prisons aren't known to be highly sterile and sanitary."

Unable to argue with that, then he really would be stupid, Bane didn't bother, remaining silent as he let the officer get back to work fixing him up.

)

Officer Blake had just finished up and was removing the gloves he'd been wearing when the man's phone signaled. While Bane watched the cop pulled out a black cellphone and accessed what he assumed was a text message, whatever written there causing the older man's features to tighten a little and then it was being deleted and the cell was being shoved back into his pant pocket. It was only because of their closeness that Bane caught the words muttered by his unexpected medic, the just of which was the fact that the officer had been dumped again.

"Women do not like to be kept waiting." He might not be interested in ever getting a girlfriend, but even he knew that basic rule thanks to Talia.

The officer's chuckle was both amused and self-deprecating. "Neither do men."

It took a moment for him to connect the dots. "Your date was with a man?"

"Yup, you've been letting yourself get felt up by a genuine fag. Why do you think he's been helping you? You're just his type, ain't he, Johnny?"

Donny again.

And as before the cop shot the pissant down like it was nothing. "Don't mind, Donny, he's just jealous that I can actually handle another man in bed, while the best he can manage is hookers he has to pay not to laugh at his undersized everything."

That got some laughs and jeers from the man's gang members, most of them aimed at Donny though a few were for the officer. None made a move to throw any insults in Bane's direction, but that was sheer self-preservation. They all probably thought he'd start snapping their necks if they insinuated he might be gay. He wouldn't have cared, in truth, but the less they talked to him the better. That he wanted to tell them to be quiet had more to do with some of the looks they were giving Blake than himself. His own men were silent and had remained so since they got here. He'd trained them well.

Seeming to ignore the looks and slurs Blake finished packing up the case and then rose to his feet in one smooth motion, keeping his attention on him and him alone.

Bane didn't know why, but having this man's sole attention made him feel…pleased. Special.

"At this point I'd be stuffing a cookie in your mouth and getting you some Coke, but I hear you get testy if someone tries to take that mutilated tin can off your face so that's out. Try to keep the wound clean and baby the arm for a while."

"Cookies…and Coke?"

The grin transformed the officer's face, making him look even younger and showing off dimples that were surprising and strangely appealing. "Never given blood, have you? To bring up your sugar levels? And don't say you'd prefer Pepsi, because I don't buy that crap. Ever."

"I don't drink Pepsi."

"Then maybe there's hope for you yet." The squeeze to his shoulder had Bane tightening his muscles there automatically, his surprise at the touch in his eyes as he looked up the man's arm to the officer it belonged to.

And then Blake was gone again, striding over to the front area to turn in the case and speak with the man behind the glass. The conversation was short and then the officer started to turn, instinct telling Bane that something was up even though he couldn't quite put his finger on what aspect of the man's body language had tipped him off.

As he watched Blake left the administrative area and started to head back towards the elevators, close, too close to the side where the Bloods had been situated. And then he stopped in front of one and Bane knew what had caught the officer's eyes. Somehow, perhaps in the reflection of the glass or some tell on the street thug's part, Blake had noticed that the man was carrying a blade in his boot.

Tensing up, though there would be nothing he could do and he didn't know why he would care, Bane watched the man crouched down with sudden grace, neatly grabbing the ankle of the foot that had come out to try and kick him away while he pulled the concealed knife out with the other.

Having caught on, admittedly a bit late, the guard who should have checked his charges over more thoroughly was there to push the gangbanger back into the bench when he would have gotten to his feet and attempted to charge Blake even though he was handcuffed.

Getting to his feet Blake's eyes were coolly on his would be attacker. "Children shouldn't play with knives." And now those dark eyes moved over to meet the guard's. "And gangbangers should always be thoroughly searched for concealed weapons."

With that Officer Blake turned the weapon in and then left for the last time, Bane's eyes on him until the other man was out of sight.

"Unusual." Barsad said.

"Very." Bane responded, speaking both of the officer, and his reaction to him.


	2. Everyone Has Habits

Note: The POV will go back and forth with each chapter. An experiment if you will, let me know what you think.

Everyone Has Habits

People were generally creatures of habit, and Commissioner Gordon was no different. At least when it came to 'Penny's', a restaurant that served what was considered to be the best meatloaf in all of Gotham every Thursday. Gordon always had lunch there for that special, usually at eleven before the major lunch rush took over the booths and counter space. Having noted this habit, not to mention the meatloaf was truly amazing and adopted a similar one there, Blake now used it to track the older man down so that he could talk with the commissioner without an audience or asking for an appointment. He was only an officer after all, and he didn't want to go up the chain for this.

So he waited until the commissioner entered the restaurant and taken his usual booth, taking a deep breath for courage before forcing himself to cross the room, stopping only when he was standing in front of his target.

Being a cop too Gordon had noticed him coming, and now looked at him over his glasses before pushing them back up his nose. "Something I can do for you, Son?"

"Could I join you for a few minutes, Commissioner Gordon? Your lunch on me for your time." Bribery couldn't hurt in this case, if his unorthodox approach hadn't piqued the other man's curiosity sufficiently. Good cops were the most curious after all.

A considering look, and then Gordon was gesturing across from him. "Have a seat. Officer Blake, isn't it?"

"Yes, Sir." And okay, the fact that his boss knew who he was was either a really good or bad thing, Blake decided as he took off his satchel and set it on the seat before sliding into the booth, the waitress choosing that moment to come up and take both their orders which gave him a brief respite to collect himself and take Gordon's measure while the older man did the same.

Once they had their drinks and were alone again it was show time so to speak. "I apologize for interrupting your lunch, Sir, but I wanted to discuss something with you and thought it best to keep it informal for the time being. It's concerning the 'Miranda Murders'."

The 'Miranda Murders' were currently the monkey on every cop's back, the reporters shoving it in their faces daily that they had a serial killer on the loose that wasn't being caught. Not that the general public had much faith in their police force to begin with, but they were all wanted these particularly grisly murders stopped ASAP.

"All right, I'm listening, Blake."

"Thank you, Sir. My assigned partner and I were first on scene for the fourth victim, Tim Davey, and I've kept abreast of the investigation into the murders and read all reports filed thus far. Two days ago I learned of something that might be entirely unrelated, but my mind refuses to discount it without first checking into some things. Because if my hypothesis is correct, it could be proven with your help quite easily whether the two incidents are related." When he got the nod to continue he did so. "Sir, six months ago Detective Sander and I were called in by a man named David Worth whose daughter had been seriously beaten by a fellow classmate. Worth's daughter had a history of violence and bullying, and the staff disliked her as much as her peers. The father thought the school was being too lenient in punishing the other student, a few days suspension, and so he called to press charges. The student who won the fight, Talia Ducard, was sixteen at the time and claimed she'd fought back in self defense. She showed remorse, gave a sob story and her past and how Worth was making her life hell that had her lawyer tearing up in sympathy, and basically came out of the whole thing smelling like a daisy with charges dropped."

"You think she was lying."

Pleased he wasn't being asked what this had to do with the serial killings Blake nodded. "Yes, Sir. I know she was. Not about her past, that part was true, but I'd bet what little money I have that what happened to her then and everything else that's happened since doesn't haunt her, or at least not in the way you'd expect. She feeds off it, the anger and hate. You can see it in her eyes, if you really look. I looked into her eyes and I saw a sociopath…with homicidal tendencies in the making."

Never let it be said Gordon couldn't connect the dots. "You believe a now seventeen year old girl…to be behind the 'Miranda Murders'?"

"Two days ago she was arrested along with other members of the Shadows after the Bloods came onto their turf and initiated a fight. She was wielding a knife that was subsequently confiscated, resisting arrest in an attempt to get it back as it was her late father's. The knife was over the legal limit and was exactly the type employed to murder and dismember seventeen men in the past four months. And yes I know it's-"

Gordon's raised hand had him shutting up on cue. "This girl is a member of the Shadows, Bane's gang?"

"Bane is her adopted brother, Sir. Whenever she's been questioned about it she and all members have denied her involvement in the gang, but word on the street is she's a lieutenant or even higher. Bane is the face of the Shadows so to speak, but I saw a hell of a lot more humanity in his eyes two nights ago than I saw in the three meetings I had with his sister."

"Even if you're correct about her Gotham has more than its fair share of murderers. The fact that the knives in question are similar is not enough to go on."

"Her mother's name was Miran, which is a Middle Eastern variation of Miranda. Said mother was gang-raped and murdered when Ducard was twelve by four men who broke into their house. All known victims of 'Miranda' are males who are known to have demonstrated violent behavior towards women in the past repeatedly. The mother's neck was broken, all of 'Miranda's' victims have had their throats slashed. She's the right height, weight, and has the skill set necessary to take on men twice her size. And yes I know that I could be projecting, that knowing her as I do my mind has possibly jumped to conclusions…but even if that's true what I want to ask you to do is within the law and is in fact what should be done anyway."

"And just what is it you want me to do, exactly?"

"Hold her accountable for the illegal weapon and the damage she did with it. Have the DA push to have her sent to St. Catherine's for at least six months. Argue that it's in her best interest, that if she isn't forcefully separated from Bane she'll wind up emulating him and ruining her life. St. Catherine's is a joke, we both know that. It's like a posh boarding school masquerading as a juvenile hall for girls. She won't come to any harm there, or be 'scarred' if that's possible at this point. If she's there and 'Miranda' doesn't strike during that time…then that says to me we probably have our girl."

Elbows on the table Gordon scissored his fingers together, Blake wisely remaining silent as he let the man think. He knew he could be way off base, he knew it, but sometimes you had to trust your gut.

"You have her file in that satchel?"

"Yes, Sir."

)

Exiting the restaurant with a bounce to his step about an hour later Blake couldn't help but grin, fighting the urge to punch his fist in the air. Gordon hadn't made any promises other than to go over the information he'd given him and speak to the DA, but he had a feeling the older man would come through for him if for no other reason than he'd presented his commissioner with information that made it clear Ducard had been getting away with plenty in the last few years. Add that to a chance to strike against Bane and he was pretty sure he was going to get his wish.

Things were looking up.

Shoving his hands into his coat pockets, he was constantly misplacing his gloves, Blake headed down the sidewalk towards the nearest bus stop, hunching his shoulders against the cold January winds. It was going to be a long, cold winter in Gotham if the weathermen knew what they were talking about. They usually didn't, but he wasn't holding his breath there either.

He'd been waiting for about ten minutes when his phone went off, the ringtone indicating it was Father Reilly on the other end. Sending up a mental prayer that he wasn't being called to get a St. Swiftins boy out of trouble Blake pulled out the phone and greeted one of the two men responsible for the fact that he was on the right side of the law.

"Hello, John. I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time."

"No, I'm good. It's my day off actually. I was just getting some lunch before heading home. What's up?"

"Some of the boys came to see me today to tell me that word on the street is that Bane's been asking around about you. Now you don't normally patrol his area of the city but Bane is well known for hating cops and…I'm concerned."

Bane's known turf wasn't near Swiftins, so odds of him recruiting or harming any of their boys were low. And as the priest had just stated he didn't patrol in Bane's area and dealing with the Shadows was something assigned to those with higher rank who hoped to elevate their status by being the one to bring the kid down. So yeah, Bane didn't really interest him nearly as much as his sister did.

Still, Blake understood why the priest was worried and so he assured Reilly that there really was nothing to worry about. He'd met Bane a couple of days ago and the kid must be curious about him. No big.

A chuckle greeted that statement, followed by a wry statement that Bane was not a kid.

"He's nineteen. He's a kid. The fact that he looks like he could body chuck every defenseman playing for the Gotham Rogues doesn't change that."

"He's as tall as you, twice your width, and he's taken on whole gangs by himself, John."

"One, I'm only five foot ten so there are girls in middle school our height, two, it's also not hard to find middle schoolers twice my size due to growing obesity rates in children, and three…I might not be able to take on a whole gang by myself, but he's too smart to come after a police officer for no reason. And there isn't, so don't worry. Unless he randomly decides to stalk me we won't see each other until the next time he's visiting the station in handcuffs."

Unless of course Bane found out that he was indirectly responsible for the kid's sister ending up in juvie. That might convince the muscle bound hulk to come after him. Blake couldn't see that ending well for either of them.

But since he had no intention of cluing his former caregiver in and giving the priest more reason to worry about him, not to mention everything concerning Ducard was very much in the air, Blake turned the conversation over to a discussion about the current Swiftins' boys and how they and Reilly were doing. He'd been so bogged down with work recently that he hadn't been able to drop in in a while.

And Reilly let him get away with it for a while, telling him all the news before getting right back to the subject he'd called about.

"Now that that's been covered…John, we both know that Bane is your type and I know-"

"Whoa, stop right there. Kids are not my type. I'll give you that in my OWN teenage years I might have shown a preference for juvenile delinquents, but I've outgrown that. And maybe, big maybe given his likely future of death or jail time if he doesn't get his act together, but if he was six or seven years older he MIGHT interest me in a purely physical way, but I am NOT interested in Bane and I'm more likely to be hit by a car today than hit on by him in the future."

"Given the way people drive in this city…"

Laughing, didn't he know it, Blake shook his head and said his good byes. The bus had arrived.

)

Unable to help himself Blake couldn't stop himself from thinking about what Reilly had insinuated earlier. It wasn't that he hadn't noticed how built the kid was, hadn't he made that steroid comment, but it was pretty hard to find someone with a metal muzzle on his face attractive unless you were into the BDSM scene. Which he was most certainly not. Plus he'd never found bald heads particularly attractive, he liked his men to have hair. And not be seven years younger than him.

Still…now he couldn't help but wonder what the kid looked like without the mask. Did he have really bad teeth, a birth defect or injury that he was hiding with that metal contraption? Or was it all for show, a way to scare the hell out of his opponents and continue the tradition of mask wearing Gotham was unfortunately becoming famous for.

Stupid cop curiosity.

Telling himself that it had been negligent of him not to find out more about Bane, he might learn something that would help him arrest the kid's adopted sister, Blake headed straight for his laptop as soon as he got home and entering his password and codes in went about looking up Bane's file to see if there were any pictures stored away that didn't feature the mask.

The latest ones all did, his fellow officers apparently lacking the balls or strong ovaries to make the kid take the tin can off his mouth. But there were other pictures that weren't mug shots, the first few bringing a warrior light to his eyes as he looked at what had been done to the boy when he was fourteen, having rushed into the Ducard house after hearing Talia's screams for help. One boy against four hyped up meth addicts who'd just raped and killed an innocent woman. He'd survived, as had the girl, but the former had taken quite the beating when he'd held the sons of bitches off so that Talia Ducard could escape and get more help.

Bane had already been in the system at that point, taken away from his abusive father at the age of eleven. There were pictures from his Child Services file, a picture when he was thirteen giving Blake some idea of why Bane would choose to hide his face with a mask.

"Fuck. He's a pretty boy."

That mouth alone…it was probably sheer defense to cover that up. It was a minor miracle Bane's father hadn't pimped him out instead of just beating him whenever the mood struck him. He'd known a number of boys in foster care and at Swiftins who'd cursed their androgynous looks to hell and back. He'd had his own stories too, having been seen as pretty cute as a kid until the foster parents got a load of his attitude problem. Thankfully he'd gotten through the system sexually unharmed, but that wasn't always the case.

Studying the photograph and feeling more than a little like a pedophile himself, Blake had to admit that in all honesty maybe Father Reilly had a point. Not that he had any intention of hunting Bane down and hitting on him, hell no, but if the kid were older then yeah…yeah he probably would be tempted to give Bane his number, future major criminal or not. That mouth alone….

"I'm going to hell."

Not that he hadn't been there before, Blake acknowledged ruefully, but never for this particular reason.

Yeah, it was definitely for the best that he and Bane weren't likely to cross paths anytime soon. And hopefully when they did…Bane would be over twenty, Please God.

Deciding it was for the best that he distract himself Blake immersed himself in reading all available information on Bane, at it for more than an hour before the sound of his phone going off again roused him from his deep concentration.

This time it was Will, an ex boyfriend and friend. "Hi, Will, what's up? Does the Chihuahua know you're calling me?"

"I don't need to ask Erik's permission to call you, and quite call him Chihuahua."

In Blake's opinion Will's current boyfriend had a lot in common with that particularly breed of dog, but they'd had this argument before and he was fairly sure that that wasn't why Will had called him. It must be something important for the other man to risk the yappy little bugger's wrath. Erik didn't like him any more than he liked the ankle biter. "So what's up?"

"What's up is I figure you're in trouble, Brown Eyes. That's why I'm calling. You caught yourself Bane's attention, and that's not a good thing."

Eyebrows rising, well this was unexpected, Blake tried to figure out how Will and Bane could have crossed paths. His ex ran a bar that was nowhere near Bane's turf, and even if the Shadows tried to enter the place Will would have run most of them out for being underage. Will was taller than Bane, and just as strong and muscular, so it would be a fair fight unless weapons were used. Plus Will hated gangs with a passion because-

"Oh shit, don't tell me Bryon's joined the Shadows."

"Naw, those bastards are too smart to want my idiot brother in their ranks. I'm calling because Bane himself was by my place, not looking for a drink or trouble, just watching me like a hawk. And when I went over to ask what the hell he wanted, he asked me for confirmation that I was your ex. Figuring he meant you trouble I warned him off, but he just said you interested him and left. Now what the hell did you do to attract that son of a bitch's attention?"

"Hell if I know. But it can't be good."

"No shit."


	3. Territory Crossed

Happy Valentine's Day!

Territory Crossed

The four story building had stood out from its neighbors for the past four years, though the differences were gradually being taken care of and diminished by the power of a few. The buildings that flanked the League of Shadows Dojo were no longer broken down and covered in filth and graffiti, the sidewalks within walking distance shoveled to reveal the relatively fresh cement that had been poured to replace the crumbling rubble that had been there when the dojo had first been opened. There were lights on their posts to keep the shadows at bay, and those in this part of the neighborhood felt relatively safe to go out at night without fear of being gunned down, knifed or raped within blocks of their homes.

This area of Gotham belonged to the League men, and everyone knew the price to be paid for trespassing or preying on the innocent here.

The top floor of the deceptively simple building was the home of Bane, the most feared man in this part of Gotham City. The purpose of the third floor was unknown to all except members of the League, while the second and main floor served as training rooms for the men and women Bane and other top members of the League trained as their disciples.

Bane walked with purposeful strides around the first floor training area, stopping to watch, critique, or nod in approval as his men worked their bodies and minds with growing skill and determination. His mind wasn't really on them though, if he was being honest, slipping again and again towards the question of how long it would be before Officer Blake came to see him. He'd made no effort to conceal his inquiries, and word would have gotten back to the cop by now. His quarry had grown up on the streets of Gotham and hadn't forgotten that fact, keeping his roots firmly entrenched even as he took a path in life that was the complete opposite of his beginnings. From all he'd been able to uncover Blake was a clean cop. Un-bribable, honorable, and somewhat naively devoted to the ideas of government 'justice'. One who knew the world was far from black and white and who sought to balance the scales, even if his belief that his shield made that possible should have faded away by now.

The more he'd learned the more fascinated he'd become, particularly since everything Bane learned did little to stifle the desire to see the officer again. What he'd thought was just curiosity about the other man's unusual behavior towards him was something more, he saw that now. Because from what he'd learned Blake was the saving type, which explained his earlier actions, and yet-he wanted to learn more. To know everything there was to know about Officer John Blake.

Despite being lost in thought Bane still sensed it when someone started coming towards him with intent, Bane turning his head to watch one of his men approach him, giving Shane his full attention as the seventeen year old spoke quietly, for his ears only.

"Frank just called from his watch. Apparently some cop named Blake came up to him and asked him to give you a message." When Bane nodded Shane continued. "He said to tell you that if you want to talk to him he'll be at 'Red' until ten."

A brief moment of surprise and then Bane smiled just a little behind his mask, the officer's ploy pleasing him. If he'd had to go to Blake to see him he would have, he knew the man's prescient and home address, but he wouldn't deny he'd wanted Blake on his home turf. Blake was obviously aware of that and had decided to give in, to a degree. 'Red' was a club in his territory that catered primarily to young clubbers whose lives consist of partying and being hungover or in withdrawal. Making him come there, a part of his turf where he didn't have the comfort of knowing his surroundings or being able to control it, was clever indeed.

The predator under his skin all but purring, he was going to enjoy this, Bane nodded and sent Shane away. Then he went over to Barsad and informed his second as to where he was going and why.

The look Barsad gave him spoke volumes, but he didn't try to stop him either, stating that he would watch over things until he returned.

Nodding, he expected nothing less, Bane headed out of the dojo and began making his way through the dark streets. He was given a wide berth, everyone knew him here, and he was given access into the club fifteen minutes later without having to wait in line. In theory the crowds were just starting, the real action later on in the evening, but those who'd entered as soon as the club doors had opened were already drinking, dancing, and in general making complete fools of themselves with their lack of discipline and improper behavior. The only good thing about the place, which looked as though it and its occupants hadn't been clean in recent memory, was the music. It was loud and primitive sounding, heavy on the bass in a way that made you feel it in your very bones and bade him move in time with it.

The lights were kept dim, the smoke from cigarettes and illegal substances hazing the air as well, and so winding his way through the half naked crowds that had converged on the main bar wasn't easy, but Bane made it to his destination. And as he thought the bartender he hailed could point him in the direction of the cop in the building, his officer the type who would stand out in such a place.

When he finally got close enough to get a look at his 'guest' Bane noted the fact that the cop still had his winter coat with him, not trusting the 'coat room' to deliver it back to him in one piece. Smart of him. Blake wasn't dressed for clubbing either, the brown, light weight top snug enough to suggest a toned body beneath but not putting said body on display as everyone else was in the room save for the two of them. He didn't doubt that Blake would be armed and prepared for a possible confrontation, the drink in front of him there for show only.

As he watched some punk in leather pants and a shirt that was basically netting sidled up to Blake's booth, setting a hand on top of the seat as he bent in-and promptly had a badge shoved in his face and words he couldn't hear-but which sent the little rat scurrying off and into the safety of the crowd.

Pleased, Bane started moving once more, knowing the instant Blake sensed him coming as those brown eyes zeroed in on him in a flash, their gazes locking and holding for the duration of Bane's walk over to slide into the seat across from Blake.

"Officer Blake."

"Hey, Kid."

Blinking, how could he have forgotten, Bane leveled Blake with his most stern and adult look as he stated, again, that he was not a kid.

"Grow up a little more on the inside and I'll consider it." Was the cop's response, the hint of a smile suggesting his amusement and lack of worry where he was concerned. "Now I've come up with three reasons why you might be asking around about me, would you like to hear them or would you prefer to cut to the chase and tell me?"

Pushing aside the many comments he wanted to make about the man's first statement, Bane concentrated on the last part, stating that he wanted to hear Blake's theories. They were bound to be both insulting and interesting.

"The first would be that you're sizing me up as a possible informant or dirty cop, which by now you must know isn't going to happen if you have the brains I'm told you do. Suggest otherwise and my fist will find out just hard your head really is." Blake's smile was not a nice one now. "The second possibility is that you took Donny seriously last week and think I'd be interested in pursuing a sexual relationship with you, which is also not the case. As you've found out by now you are physically my type, but you're also a kid and one whose sister I intend to see behind bars. So yeah, no."

"She doesn't remember you fondly either." When he'd mentioned Blake to Talia after the lawyers had finally gotten him in to see her, she'd recognized the name and told him all about her encounters with Officer Blake. She hadn't liked him one little bit, but the fact that Blake hadn't bought into Talia's lies only made the other man that much more appealing in his eyes.

Meanwhile Blake nodded his head in acknowledgement, obviously not doubting the fact that she disliked him as much as he apparently disliked her.

In fact, to his eyes, Bane was pretty sure that the cop was pleased to know that he'd pissed Talia off. Smart though he was Bane couldn't help but think Blake had no idea how bad it was to cross his adopted sister. And hopefully Blake would never learn.

"One would think you'd concern yourself with more dangerous criminals than Talia."

"Is that your not at all subtle way of suggesting I focus on you instead?"

)

The flash of heat in his stomach at the man's words and tone of voice caught Bane by surprise, though his mind and common sense quickly identified the feeling, things starting to make a great deal more sense. He'd always been the pursued before, usually by those who wanted to use him in some way, and sex and such had never been high on his list of goals, especially since a hand didn't expect anything for services rendered. So what he was feeling was desire for more than just release and the pleasure that came with sex. He…desired this cop, who called him kid and had just stated he wasn't interested in a sexual relationship with him.

Hmm. How interesting.

And then his eyes were going huge as his mask was flicked hard, drawing his attention back to the present and the man who was smirking at him.

"Where'd you go?"

"You flicked me."

"What, is your big, strong, tin can not up to protecting that pretty boy face of yours?"

Opening and closing his mouth behind that mask Bane tried to speak, he really did, but no words were coming out. Not even sounds. He was just that dumbfounded and at a loss for words as his brain struggled to understand what had just been said. And just what the hell was it about this man that stole the words he was NEVER at a loss for?!

Laughter

Eyes focusing on its source Bane found himself all but transfixed at the sound of Blake's laughter, the way the sparkling brown eyes were highlighted by the beginnings of crow's feet, the sweetness of the dimples, and the sexy and deep baritone of the laughter that was crystal clear even in their present settings.

"Why are you laughing?"

"You. Everyone talks about you like you're the next Joker or Crane, but you really are just a very, VERY precocious and misguided teenager, aren't you? Not even that hunk of junk on your face can hide that, if anyone bothered to look."

Scowling now Bane leaned forward, using his size to intimidate as he stated that while he'd agree that he had very little in common with either of those Gotham criminals he was NOT precocious or misguided or a child. He was a great deal more mature and focused than the vast majority of adults, much less teenagers. And it would be a mistake, he stated very coolly, to think people were wrong to respect and be wary of him.

Looking not at all worried or intimidated Blake rested his cheek against his palm as he continued to stare back at him thoughtfully.

"I didn't say I don't respect you, I do actually. I read your file after we met. I admire what you've done for this section of the city and the organization of your little army. It's impressive, though again misguided."

"Army?"

"Calling you a gang is misleading. You're too well organized and militaristic. I saw the Youtube video, it was impressive."

Bane didn't wince, but he wanted to. Almost as much as he wanted to kill every member of the Bloods, who were responsible for the fact that Talia might end up having to go to St. Catherine's. The disgusting vermin had intended to broadcast their defeat of the Shadows online as a warning to other gangs and to brag, the live feed they'd been streaming recording their absolute defeat instead…and images of Talia wielding her father's knife. The lawyers were saying that they should take the deal the DA was offering, which was St. Catherine's until Talia turned eighteen or she could take her chances in criminal court. A fire had been lit under the DA it seemed, and he was not known to lose when that happened.

To change the subject Bane asked what Blake's third theory was, both genuinely curious and wanting to keep the officer's attention on him and not on Talia.

"The third? That you're looking me up for the same reason I looked into your file. Because you're curious by nature." Pause. "So was I right?"

"Close."

Blake watched him, obviously waiting for clarification, but Bane had no intention of doing so. At least not until he'd had time to access the situation he found himself in and calculate the odds and consequences were he to make his interest in this man known.

A couple minutes of silence ticked by and then Blake was reaching for his coat, sliding out of the booth once he had it in his grasp. As he slipped it on Blake drew his line in the sand so to speak.

"If you want to learn more about me fine, but don't do it through others. I've spent more time on my phone this week than I usually do in three months, talking to people who heard through the grapevine that you're asking questions around about me. And while some of those people would be just fine with me ending up as a bloody smear beneath your boot, some of them actually matter to me. Quit worrying them."

Reaching into his pocket Blake pulled out a white rectangle and tossed it down on the table, which was too grimy to allow much slide before it came to a stop. "My card."

Picking up the card Bane slid it into his own pocket and then got up as well, stating his intention to see him out.

The statement obviously amused the cop, but Blake didn't say no either. In fact, the older man motioned for him to lead the way.

Doing precisely that Bane had never been so aware of someone at his back before, Blake keeping close enough that he could almost believe he felt the other man's body heat. And when at one point the boisterous crowd crashed into Blake and sent him crashing into his back, Bane was treated to a brief moment of those strong, oddly elegant hands on his shoulders, the scents he was coming to associate with Blake wrapping around his senses while that long, lean body pressed up against his before Blake straightened with an apology that was mostly drowned out by the people and what was currently passing for music.

Finally they were once again outside, the cold winter air a sharp blast to their systems after their brief stint in the overheated club they'd just left.

"We're going in opposite directions, so I'll say good night here. It's been interesting…again."

"I'll accompany you to your car."

"I'm walking."

"It would take you hours to walk from here to your residence."

The smile Blake gave him warned Bane even before he was given an explanation. "I figured you'd have my address by now. I'll expect you to call before dropping by. And I'm only walking six blocks and then taking the bus to my place. I only borrow a car when I have to."

"And you didn't think this was one of those times? The streets of Gotham aren't safe for cops during the day, much less the night."

"I wouldn't be a very good friend if I let the borrowed car end up stolen or stripped down for parts, now would I? And since you've made your interest in me known, I think the majority of the thugs I might encounter will give me a wide berth. Wouldn't want to steal your prey from you and become prey themselves, now would they?" Blake moved closer then, Bane just fine with letting the man into his personal space. "I've been walking streets like this all my life. Longer than you've been alive in fact. So worry about yourself, Kid, and I'll take care of myself."

Proving that someone his size could move lightning fast when need be, Bane's hand shot out, grabbing Blake by the throat in an unbreakable hold. And moving in so that they shared air Bane stated his warning for the last time.

"Stop calling me Kid."

"Stop acting like one."

"I could break your neck like a twig."

"I could gut you like a fish."

It was then that he was clued into the fact that his officer must have had a blade up his sleeve because the tip of one was now teasingly pressed up against his stomach, making his intent clear as well. And while Bane knew in his gut that he could kill his opponent before Blake could take him out, and that was if the man would even go for a kill move…he was still impressed. And aroused.

And he could see in Blake's eyes that the cop was very aware of that fact.


	4. A First Date?

A First Date?

Well, he'd probably brought this on himself, probably, and he'd kick his own ass over it later, but for now Blake focused on holding Bane's gaze because the worst thing he could do was look away or show any visible sign of weakness now. It was also impossible to think of Bane as a kid at the moment, especially when the other man was so obviously crowding him in, using his body as a weapon. One that would do more damage than the blade he carried…and dominate his own completely.

Oh fuck.

That he was getting more than a little turned on as they continued their standoff was one more reason he wanted to flee, not that there weren't plenty more reasons where that came from, Blake thought as he swallowed reflexively. He seriously had the worst timing sometimes, particularly when it came to the men he was attracted to.

And it was that internal panic that had Blake blurting words out before he'd thought them through. "This is not going to end well."

"Oh? And what 'this' are you referring to, Officer?"

"You know I'm talking about."

"I would hear you say it."

"Kind of hard to talk right now, Bane."

It was of some relief that Bane wanted an answer from him badly enough to remove the fingers he'd wrapped around his neck, letting him go. But Blake didn't fool himself into thinking that he couldn't be put in a life threatening situation again in the blink of an eye so he kept his knife in his hand, though he lowered it a little so that the point wasn't in danger of cutting into Bane's flesh. If it could slice through Bane's coat and hit skin before Bane got the knife away from him, Blake silently amended. And that was if he could bring himself to do that in the first place.

Forcing himself to look Bane in the eye, he was the adult here, God dammit, Blake used his official voice this time. "I'm going to say this once, if you're as smart as they say you are I won't have to repeat it. I don't know what you hope to gain from your recent behavior, but if you think you can use me in ANY way you are so fucking mistaken you have no idea. If you just want me to fear you I don't see the point, our paths are crossing for no other reason than you want them to now."

He couldn't see Bane's eyes clearly in the darkness, but Blake certainly felt them and the weight behind Bane's next words.

"You don't believe in fate, Officer?"

"A good cop doesn't discount anything without absolute proof." Was the best answer Blake could come up with on the spot, especially since he hadn't seen that question coming and didn't like the implications of it one little bit. "Now if you'll excuse me, it's cold and I want to get home."

"I am walking with you."

"No, you're not."

This standoff was through eye contact only, the two standing on the street with their eyes locked together, refusing to look away or back down. The fact that this was not the sort of place where you wanted to ignore your surroundings occurred to both of them, but that knowledge was pushed aside through sheer, bullheaded stubbornness. Something they both had in spades.

What broke the staring contest was the sound of someone calling Blake's rank and name.

A cop car had pulled up alongside them without him noticing, the passenger window down and an officer was currently sticking his head out to speak to them. Blake recognized the other man immediately, they'd done some patrolling together the year before and had stayed friendly enough.

Raising a hand in greeting Blake walked over to speak with him, leaning against the car's roof. "Hey, McCormick, been a while."

"Everything all right here, Blake?"

"Yeah, was just on my way out. Which way are you guys headed, anyway?"

McCormick traded looks with his partner and then pointed his thumb towards the backseat. "We can give you a lift out of here. You're looking to take the bus, right?"

"Yeah, thanks." Shifting over Blake opened up the back door, turning around briefly to give Bane a nod of parting. And it was sheer, stubborn assehole-ness that had him smiling as he bid Bane good bye before sliding into the seat and closing the door.

"Later, Kid."

)

Needless to say Blake wasn't remotely surprised by the fact that as soon as they'd pulled away from the curb McCormick and the unknown detective, who was belatedly introduced as Sawyer, began to pepper him with questions about just what the hell he was doing hanging out with Bane. They'd heard about what had happened in booking, that had made the gossip rounds like wildfire, but this wasn't Blake's area and the two had looked like they'd been about to come to blows. Which would not have ended well for Blake, they were sure.

The truth hurt, but Blake was man enough to admit they weren't wrong about Bane's ability to put him into traction if he so desired. And he answered their main question truthfully, explaining that he'd heard Bane was asking around about him, which had worried friends of his. He'd come down here to find out what the hell was going on, but Bane had refused to explain himself. Hopefully the answer would come or Bane would opt to leave him the hell alone from now on.

"You got balls, Boy. Shit for brains, but you got balls." Was the detective's opinion on Blake's actions. "Nobody goes head to head with that bastard and wins."

"I've got brains too, actually. But I'll give you that coming to his home turf wasn't one of my best ideas."

Since they were discussing Bane anyway, and these were their streets, Blake asked them of their opinion of the teenager, stressing the fact that he wanted only what they knew to be true. He'd already heard countless stories or rumors, and read the kid's file, but he was cop enough to know that most of what he'd read and heard was probably bull.

"I'll take this, you concentrate on the road." McCormick advised, meeting his trainer's gaze squarely when he got a dark look. "You know you're biased, and you can't summarize worth a damn." More looks back and forth, ending with Sawyer huffing in exasperation before giving McCormick the go ahead to talk since he liked to do it so much.

"Thank you, Sir. So how much do you know about Henri Ducard, Blake? Cause to get Bane you gotta get the guy he's trying to imitate."

"Mostly just what I read in the paper and in the files of his kids. Politics aren't my thing, and the information about his life before Gotham is pretty sparse. He was a soldier,right? He met his daughter's mother in the Middle East."

"Yeah. The story is they were separated by her family, but not before she was knocked up. She got sent to some relatives in the United States, ran away from them, and ended up in Gotham where she had their daughter. Ducard, meanwhile, was led to believe that she and their child had died, and upon discovering years later that that wasn't the case came looking for them. By the time he arrived she was dead and the girl had been in foster care for nearly a year. Through blood tests she was proven to be his, and he took Bane in too as thanks for protecting her from her mother's murderers." McCormick's voice took on a cynical note. "So Ducard settles in this neighborhood with the kids, starts his dojo, and starts showing an interest in politics. And there he was extreme, militaristic, draconian, my way or you should die way. He'd have had more backing if we'd still been in the bad old days of Gotham, but in the end no one was real heartbroken outside this neighborhood when he was killed in that huge train crash a year and a half ago. You want to know about Bane…Ducard was molding him into his second. He's planning to follow in the old man's footsteps."

"I don't think he'd do well in politics." Blake's grin was wry. "He's not really a people person."

McCormick's expression and voice turned grim. "I don't think he intends to play things that nicely. It wouldn't be the first time Gotham was run by the illegal, controlling the government from the shadows."

"Oh. Shit."

"Exactly. Hence the fact that Sawyer and I aren't members of his fan club."

Sawyer's agreement came in a number of four letter words.

The rest of the ride out of Bane's territory revolved around the interactions the other two had had with the teenager, Blake not really surprised to hear that McCormick blamed Bane for being a bad influence on Talia, but was pleasantly taken aback when Sawyer informed the officer that he was showing how wet behind the ears he was where women were concerned. He for damn sure knew a femme fatale when he saw one.

"She's just a kid, Sawyer."

Blake poked the other officer in the shoulder. "I'm with Sawyer on this one."

"Maybe you do have brains." Was the detective's opinion while McCormick sputtered.

"Thanks, Detective."

)

It was a couple of days after his visit to Bane's territory that Blake headed out of his precinct with his uniform in a duffle bag slung over one arm and his hair still slightly damp from the shower he'd taken. Of course that meant he was that much colder as he hustled over to the bus stop, but he'd dropped his hat in slush earlier in the day and had it stowed in a plastic bag in his duffle. He hadn't had time to dry his hair or the hat properly before leaving, the bus he was taking only came every thirty minutes and was due any minute. Thankfully the bus was prompt too, and he hurried to get on after showing his pass.

Taking a seat with a relieved sigh, it had been a long day, Blake opened the duffle to remove a book he'd picked up on famous dictators from around the world, which was confirming his hatred of politics a billion times over.

Glancing up every time the next stop was announced, he'd taught himself to do that after missing his stop one too many times due to exhaustion or note reading, Blake had just gone back to reading when they made their forth stop, and was about to flip to the next page when someone took a seat beside him. Someone too big for his seat and who smelled very familiar.

Looking over Blake took in the fact that Bane was wearing a watch cap over his head, a scarf wrapped around the bottom half of his face to hide his mask from view. He was still intimidating looking, but no one would immediately realize who they were looking at even if they knew of Bane.

"This isn't your usual bus."

Not about to explain himself, that would only encourage him, Blake pointed out that the bus they were on was going in the opposite direction of Bane's neighborhood.

"I am where I wish to be."

Well that didn't sound good. Now he was imagining his normal bus stop being staked out by some of Bane's goons, who tipped the teenager off as to what bus to board. Though obviously Bane would have had to be in the vicinity, with some sort of transportation to get him to the stop he'd just gotten on…

"So I guess I should add stalker to your list of adjectives, huh, Kid?"

"I believe I've made my feelings concerning that nickname clear."

Shrugging his shoulders in a 'sucks to be you' manner, Blake raised his book up again and went back to reading, resisting when Bane tried to tug the book from his hands. Instead he closed it long enough to swat Bane's hand away with it and then opened the book back to his page again.

When Bane did nothing more to stop him or try to get his attention Blake forced himself to concentrate on his book and not looking at the teenager beside him. Damn difficult, but he managed. And then his stop was announced, so he pulled the cord to signal he needed to get off and put his book away in his duffle.

Then he stated the obvious. "You're going to have to move, Bane."

To his surprise Bane got up and made room for him to pass, though that surprise quickly died when Bane followed on his heels, obviously intending to get off with him. Go figure.

Getting off the bus Blake figured it was his best bet to ignore Bane as long as possible, striding down the street for about half a block before turning into an alleyway and continuing on down it towards the other end.

"This alley would be good for an ambush."

"You planning to ambush me, Bane?" Blake stopped and looked over his shoulder, the alley narrow enough that someone of Bane's width couldn't go shoulder to shoulder with him comfortably.

"Not here."

"Well at least you're honest."

Continuing on and out of the alley Blake walked down scarred sidewalks until he came to a stop in front of a small, independent theater that had seen better days. Which meant, he informed Bane when he turned to face him, that if his goal had been to actually see him all the way to his destination this time around Bane had succeeded.

"You came here to see a film?"

"Yup. So night. Again." Blake had to chuckle at that, it felt like he'd said that to Bane a hundred times already and they hardly knew each other.

A thoughtful look crossed Bane's face, and then he was stating he would watch the film as well.

Shrugging his shoulders, it wasn't like he could really stop Bane without a good reason, Blake headed inside and went straight past the empty booth area and into the second room that housed the concession stand, which was currently being manned by the theater's owner and one of his few employees. There were two people in front of him and then it was his turn, Blake smiling as he returned the cheerful greeting he got as he gave the man his duffle, knowing he could count on Charlie to hold on to it for him. There wasn't a lot of foot room in the small viewing rooms.

"I will pay for both of us."

Surprised at the offer, but quickly deciding it was the least Bane could do, Blake grinned and announced that if that was the case he'd boost his normal snack up to large for both, double the licorice. He also introduced the two since good manners demanded it and Charlie wouldn't have heard of Bane's exploits anyway. The man lived in the movies, particularly the old ones.

"Nice to meet you, Bane, we'll give him your discount too, John."

"You're the man, Charlie."

"Thank you." Bane said very politely, which earned his points though Blake didn't say so. The kid didn't need any more encouragement.

In short order Blake had his large popcorn doused in butter, a large Coke and eight pieces of licorice in his possession, while Bane handed over the money after looking over the food and shaking his head. Not put off in the least Blake scooped up the licorice and the popcorn, telling Bane he could carry the drink before asking Charlie if 'Runaway Jury' was in Room One or Two.

"Two. I figured you for 'A Time to Kill' tonight."

"Change in plans."

Charlie paused to consider, then gave them both knowing looks. "Yeah, 'Runaway Jury' is a better date movie, no question. You two have fun and enjoy now."

"Thanks, Charlie. We will."

Heading to the right and entering the very short hallway, they were soon in the half filled theater, which was pretty decent for this particular place. Setting his stuff down first Blake quickly removed his coat and then set it over his seat, taking Bane's stuff from him so that the teenager could take off his coat as well. The scarf stayed in place though, which was cause for an eye roll before Blake placed the drink in the cup holder between their chairs. Taking a seat, they were in the back since he preferred not to have people behind him, Blake waited until Bane had taken the seat beside him before commenting on the situation they found themselves in.

"You're going to have to take the scarf off during the movie, I'm not eating all this by myself and it gets hot in here. Charlie always has the heaters on too high. I won't look at your pretty face if that's the problem."

"My face is not pretty."

"I've seen pictures, Bane. It's pretty, hence your tin can accessory."

Silence, then Bane inquired, in a very cool tone of voice, if he was trying to annoy him into leaving.

"You're not that easy to shake."

The lights dimmed then, they'd been cutting it close getting here after all, and Blake split up the licorice, holding out four of them to his side, Bane finally taking them from him. "I'll hold the popcorn, help yourself to the Coke when you want it. I doubt either of us is afraid of sharing a straw."

Not entirely sure what Bane would do now, and telling himself he really didn't care, Blake set the other pieces of licorice over one knee and turned his attention to the popcorn, having missed dinner.

And he was aware, given their close quarters, when Bane reached up and unwound the scarf from around his head and reached for the pop to take a sip.


	5. Border Breached

Border Breached

Annoyance at having his mask constantly referred to as a tin can accessory, plus other plans he had for later in the evening, had led to Bane's decision not to wear his mask under the scarf he'd used to hide the lower half of his face. Not having that portion of his face covered made him feel a little naked now, but the taste of the coke shifted his thoughts immediately, he'd forgotten how sweet and good it was. When he'd been growing up no one had cared what he'd consumed or if he ate at all in some cases, which meant he'd been no stranger to junk food when Talia's father had adopted him. But since then his diet had been strictly regimented and he'd forgotten just how good food harmful to his body could be.

Taking some of the popcorn too, and oh but there was a lot of fake butter on it, Bane had to admit that it was damn good as well. Much better than the stale or plain stuff he'd been used to back in the day.

Gunfire shifted his attention to the screen, Bane watching that play out with little interest since he distained Hollywood's habit of glamorizing violence and pointless carnage. But it was over surprisingly quickly, shifting to an explanation that had him realizing that the movie might be focusing on a trial, which made sense given its title.

Absently eating and drinking his share, he'd always loved licorice and that went fast, Bane was well aware that Blake was pointedly not looking at him, his gut telling him that that was out of respect for the fact that Bane didn't like showing his face instead of a brush off gesture. And slowly, without Bane even realizing it, he forgot about being aware of every move Blake made because this movie was actually intriguing him, both because he felt he was missing something and because he was preoccupied wondering why a cop like Blake would enjoy seeing 'justice' manipulated and exploited this way.

But slowly but surely, as was often the case, Bane could see the hidden motives of the two independent jury controllers, sensing that it wasn't just money that was driving them to risk their lives to control the outcome of the trial. The twist of the ending didn't surprise him, but he was left feeling that the movie had not been a complete waste of his time and concentration and that was unusual.

Bane put his scarf back into place before the lights went back on, sensing that they were due within a minute or two. And then the lights were on again, making him blink a little before he turned to look in Blake's direction, just in time to see that the cop had risen to his feet and was stretching, a slim band of skin showing between the waistband of the man's jeans and the shirt he was wearing.

He wanted to taste that strip of pale flesh.

And while he was imagining that the man in question put his coat on and gathered up the garbage, Blake's pointed, questioning look reminding Bane that he needed to be doing some moving of his own.

Grateful for the scarf that hid the flush he could feel spreading over his cheeks, Bane quickly got his own coat on, joining Blake as they merged with the crowd leaving the theater, the old man from before waiting at the end of the hallway with Blake's bag for him.

"Thanks, Charlie."

"No problem, John. Happy to do it. Did you two enjoy the movie?"

"Haven't gotten sick of it yet." Was Blake's amused response, while Bane nodded his head and commented that it had been a great deal better than most.

"Oh you have no idea."

And just like that Bane found himself drawn into a discussion about how today's movies were by and large nothing but violent, pornographic filth that did nothing but contribute to the further degradation of a society that was already in bad shape to begin with. Of course Bane didn't know even a quarter of the movies Charlie was talking about and said so, but in most cases the old man was of the opinion that that was for the best. And in short order he was provided with a list of movies he apparently had to see, as well as a calendar listing the movies for the next three months so that he'd know what was available for him to watch later on.

Since Blake apparently came here often Bane was fairly sure he was being truthful when he said he'd be back, which seemed to make the old man's night. His liking for this Charlie only increased when the man in question pointed at him and told Blake that he liked this one before wishing them a good evening, waving them off before heading down the hallway they'd just come through to start cleaning up.

"Thanks."

Surprised, Bane gave Blake his full attention as he asked what he was being thanked for.

"For really talking and listening to him, not just paying him lip service. You made his night, letting him do his 'Hollywood Isn't What It Used To Be' spiel. Most of us have all heard it."

"He had interesting things to say."

"Well thanks nonetheless."

Accepting the thanks because it benefited him to do so, Bane followed Blake out of the theater and onto the sidewalk, not really surprised to see they were heading back the way they'd come hours earlier even though that would mean entering that unsafe alleyway again.

"Do you often bring dates to that theater?"

"Not usually, no. If I'm watching a movie with someone I'm dating I prefer to do it on a couch where making out or having sex is an option if the movie blows. Brought Will a few times, you've met him, I believe."

"Yes." He'd found the man's continued loyalty and concern for Blake's wellbeing very annoying. Blake wasn't his to protect anymore, the bar owner hadn't deserved him.

Obviously picking up something from his tone or body language Blake sent him an amused look as they entered the alleyway, the cop again taking the lead as he said, over his shoulder, that Will hadn't liked Bane much either.

"Your Charlie likes me."

"Yeah, I'm still trying to tell myself him didn't realize how young you are when he figured we were on a date."

Seeing the comment for what it was, another reminder to the both of them of his age and Blake's determination to see him as just a kid, Bane's eyes narrowed, his body language shifting into a more ready, predatory posture as he shifted his planned timeline around a little, waiting until they were in the middle of the alleyway before tugging down his scarf and moving into action.

He had his prey pressed up against the wall before Blake had time to finish his sound of outrage, the future words muffled against their lips as Bane went about showing just how much he didn't appreciate being reduced to just another misbehaving teenager in the cop's books.

In all honesty Bane knew that when it came to actual sex he wouldn't have the experience his cop's other lovers had had. Hell, in all likelihood he didn't know as much about kissing as the others did, but this at least he'd done enough times to know somewhat what he was doing, and this time was also very different in that it wasn't fueled by minor curiosity or resignation. Before he'd learned the basics, now he was learning why people actually seemed to enjoy doing it. It was so very, very different when you desired the person you were kissing to the point where you couldn't think of anything or anyone for days.

The slim but fit body pressed up against his vibrated with what was probably fury, but the taste of Blake on his lips, surprisingly dark, rich, and somehow forbidden, entered Bane's bloodstream and all his senses, which had him thinking that he was never, ever going to forget Blake's taste even if he lived a hundred years.

It was the biting of the tongue he swiped over Blake's lips that clued Bane into the fact that he was crossing a line more forcefully and completely than he'd intended, reminding him that he needed to proceed more cautiously than usual.

He wasn't surprised that as soon as he moved back a couple steps a fist was swung towards his face, which he was just able to avoid within the tight confines of the narrow passageway.

"I warned you about this place. Don't use it again."

As he watched Blake brought the back of the hand he'd fisted seconds ago to his mouth, sliding the back over it like he could erase the taste of them on his lips. "Try that again and it won't end well for you."

"How so?"

The sound of frustration that greeted his query was oddly adorable, though his thoughts soon went back to sex when Blake started marching towards the mouth of the alley, the way the cop's ass moved in the confines of his jeans a sight that had Bane so hard so quickly he actually groaned low in his throat and stumbled forward a little before hurrying after him.

It was sheer dumb luck that he remembered to push his scarf back into place while trailing behind a little, so that he could continue to salivate over the view.

When they left the alley Blake rounded on him, the look on his face making it clear that he was well aware that his ass had been ogled with extreme thoroughness and was not happy about it. Bane was also fairly sure that Blake wouldn't appreciate him telling him just how stunning he was like this, the shadows playing over his face to hug the beauty of his cop's bone structure while he was glared at, so he didn't say anything at all. He just stood there, waiting to see what the other man would do next.

"I am not sleeping with you."

"Did I ask you to?"

"Your mouth just did."

Hmm, he couldn't exactly argue with that. Nor did he argue when Blake told him that their conversation and time together was over. He let his cop walk away…for now.

)

Bane didn't bother to tape up his hands when he got back and went to work on a punching bag, the dojo empty for now as he kept it simple so to speak, just mindless, repetitive exercise. When he was done here he would move on to another station and another task, there would be no sleep for him tonight. Not that the dreams wouldn't be pleasant if he did sleep, Officer Blake had seen to that, but for now Bane wanted to push those needs and wants aside. He wanted to think clearly, especially after what had happened on his way home.

He'd missed his stop. By three drop-off points. The cop might just have a point about how this growing fascination he had with him was a bad idea.

Working up a sweat, he was aiming for absolute clarity of mind as he moved onto weights, Bane was pleased when he sensed Barsad coming even before the other man had entered the room. Never an easy task, that, his closest friend was notoriously light on his feet and usually impossible to spot unless he wanted people to know he was coming.

"What are you doing here?"

"Couldn't sleep. You?"

"Thinking."

Nodding acceptance of that fact Barsad came over and stood behind the weights Bane was pressing, though they both knew that he didn't have the strength to grab the weights and hold them if Bane should lose his grip.

"So what are you thinking about? Your cop?"

"He's not mine…but yes. Officer Blake." And trusting Barsad as he trusted very few, Bane elaborated. "I want him, sexually, and that could be a bad thing."

"Because he's a cop, or because he's a man?"

"Both."

Barsad was quiet for a good seven minutes or so, thinking it over Bane assumed, so he kept on lifting his weights until his friend was finished his silent evaluation.

"It stands to reason, given our plans for the future, that you couldn't have a long term relationship with him, no…but if you're interested in the idea of taking a male lover he would be ideal for a starting off point. I checked into him too when I realized the extent of your interest."

"And why would he be ideal in this case?" Bane had visions of Barsad asking around about Blake's sexual interactions with other men, hating the idea that there were others with stories to tell about his cop, not to mention the idea of his friend knowing Blake that way creeped him out.

"Physically you could take him if he stepped out of line, but odds are he won't given his rep. Doesn't drink, smoke, or do drugs of any kind. He doesn't sleep around or have a history of cheating-basically he's a Boy Scout. He's spent enough time on the streets to get you, but he's soft enough that if you can convince him to overlook your age he'll teach you what you want to know and won't use your inexperience against you. Hell, he was even upfront about having it in for Talia, instead of trying to use you to get to her."

Setting the weights into place Bane slid out from under them, turning on the bench so that he could glare at Barsad. "I would never betray her."

"I know that, and he probably knows that, but the point remains this is new territory for you, and he would know how to exploit that if he was the type. He's not the type, which is why he's still an officer at this point. He only gives a shit about protecting and standing for the innocent. The info his Swiftins boys could get him alone would have him a sergeant by now if he went that route."

"You respect him."

"From what data I've got so far I would say that I respect him more than most cops." That was the most Barsad was willing to admit.

Given Barsad's hatred and distain for most cops Bane figured that was the closest thing to a compliment his friend would probably ever give Blake. The thought amused him, especially since, for reasons that weren't quite clear yet, he wanted the two to not hate each other. It was bad enough that Talia and Blake already hated each other, though the odds of Talia coming home to complain about his sudden taste in brown eyed cops anytime soon weren't high. It was looking more and more like she was going to St. Catherine's.

"Some of the men might have as much problem with you sleeping with a man as they would with the fact that he's a cop. You need to factor that in."

"But it's not a problem for you." If it was Barsad would have said so.

The face Barsad made was half amusement, half grimace. "I don't see the appeal, my ass hurts just thinking about it, but no, I've got your back. Always."

Hmmm. "What do you know about gay sex?"

"That I don't want to have it."

Chuckling, he'd just been winding Barsad up with the question anyway, Bane got back under his weights and went to work lifting them up and down in steady reps again, pleased when Barsad went to work nearby, his silent companion.

)

With the goal in mind of seeing just how bad he had it where Blake was concerned, Bane made an effort that week to try and think about the other man as little as possible, as well as making no effort to enter the cop's territory or regular haunts in the hopes of running into him. He failed horribly when it came to the first part of the experiment, and though he managed to stay away from the man who was becoming his obsession he'd had to actively talk himself out of plans that would have put him in Blake's path. He'd also figured out that sex was a lot like a drug, in that once it hooked your interest you couldn't stop thinking about it, the craving taking over your mind until all you could think was scoring some so to speak. And while there were other avenues he could have taken to scratch that need, he only wanted sex with one particular man unfortunately.

That before he'd met Blake he hadn't given a damn about sex made Bane feel like the hormonal teenager Blake saw him as. It was mortifying.

He broke down the night after his weeklong experiment, though this time he settled for a phone call while he sat on his bed with his back resting against his headboard. The dial tone seemed to mock him, and then Blake's voice greeted him, sounding both a little bit off and yet sexy as hell as he stated his name and asked who was calling.

"Officer Blake."

"Oh. Hey, Kid."

"I believe I've made my wish not to be called that clear."

"Yeah, and I wish the fucking painkillers would hurry up and kick in, but that's not happening either. You're a kid so I call you kid, deal with it or leave me the hell alone." There was a definite hint of crankiness in his voice now. "What do you want?"

"Why do you require painkillers?"

"A bat and I got acquainted this afternoon. I won but he got some hits in."

"I'm assuming you aren't referring to your hero. How badly were you injured and who hurt you?"

"A bat. Now I'm going to hang up, the painkillers should be kicking in any minute and I don't want to talk to you right now. I already have a headache. Bye."

The dial tone signaled he'd been hung up on, but Bane had no intention of letting that be the end of the conversation.


	6. Playing Doctor

Playing Doctor

Thank God the painkillers had finally kicked in. He'd only taken half the prescribed dose because the shit always made him drowsy, but at least now he could move without taking the Lord's name in vain several times over. Which, Blake figured, was possibly why the deity in question had finally decided to wave his magical cross and make the damn drugs work. Huh…that was probably seriously sacrilegious…he'd have to ask Father Reilly about it the next time his ass got dragged to confession. The mental imagery alone was pretty damn funny if he said so himself.

Gingerly sitting up on the couch Blake looked down at himself, studying his handiwork with a mixture of derision and mild pride. The things you could do with duct tape. Damn handy stuff.

The majority of the bruising was on his side, and he'd bought some cheap bags of frozen vegetables to act as ice packs for that, wrapping bandages around them to keep them in place first, and then adding duct tape around and around the bandages to give them staying power. He'd done the same for his upper arm as well, which had taken a hard bruising when he'd hit the assehole's coffee table. So all in all he was looking pretty weird, but the pizza delivery guy he was expecting had seen him looking weirder.

It was going to be a bitch in an hour or so when the frozen crap thawed too much and had to be replaced.

And on top of that to look forward to, he couldn't help but wonder just why Bane had called him earlier. The kid had probably just wanted to bug him, or try to get an invite to his place, but what if that hadn't been the case? What if Bane was in some sort of trouble or needed someone to talk to? What if he'd blown his chance to connect with the teenager and get him to see that he was heading down a road with no good turns and all because of that stupid kiss?!

Making a sound of frustration, something Bane caused him to make regularly now, Blake lifted his good arm so that he could rub the back of his neck, wincing at the twinges that caused. But twinges were better than the sort of pain that made you want to curl up in a ball and cry and that was the main thing.

Why the hell was he so hung up on that stupid kiss, anyway? It wasn't like he hadn't been kissed by plenty of other guys before, guys who were a lot better in the technique department too. But there was just something about Bane, something about his taste, his smell, his ability to annoy the fucking hell out of him that was getting under his skin like a deep splinter that refused to be removed.

Man he fucking hated splinters.

The sound of a knock on his door signaled the pizza guy had arrived, Blake very carefully getting up as he called out that he'd be right there. As he walked to the door he stuck a hand in his pajama bottom pocket, the only article of clothing he was wearing currently because the pain that would have come from donning a shirt just wasn't worth it in his opinion. The twenty was indeed there, and he fingered it as he looked through his peephole, visibly wincing when he saw that it wasn't Morgan, his pizza guy.

Cursing under his breath Blake looked up at the ceiling once to ask why him and then undid the deadbolts and opened the door just enough that he could fit through the space but not Bane. "If you've come to ask my advice on how to drop the gang thing and become a good, contributing member to society you can come in. If not you can-"

"What have you done to yourself?" Bane demanded to know cut off Blake before he could finish his warning. "Why are you covered in duct tape?"

"I'm not covered in duct tape and don't knock it. Duct tape holds the world together."

It was difficult reading Bane's face since, like now, he only had the kid's eyes to go by, but he could see the derision in them well enough. And the worry too, as the teenager's eyes continued to move over the makeshift bandages, obviously trying to access the damage that had been done without a lot of success. If there'd been anything sexual in the gaze he'd have said to hell with his body's condition and tried to punch Bane again, but there wasn't. Bane was genuinely concerned about him.

"Okay, fine, come in. But try anything and I will make you sorry. There are ways for guys my size to take down guys of yours, even trained as you are."

With a grimace he moved off to the side, motioning for Bane to walk in.

Once Bane was in Blake moved to close the door when he spotted his pizza guy coming out of the elevator. A small silver lining, not having to get up from a seated position again, and he'd take it at this point.

Without turning around he informed Bane that he would be a minute, leaning against the jamb as he waited for the delivery guy to make his way over.

"Hey, Officer, got your ass whooped again?"

"You should see the other guy. And I actually mean it this time." He'd taken some of his Bane frustration out on the bat swinging wife beater he'd met up with earlier. The assehole wouldn't be doing much of anything for a while.

Chuckling, Morgan shook his head and handed over the pizza. "You keep this up you're gonna need a walker or a chair in no time, Man."

Since he'd heard that from plenty of people Blake didn't disagree, just handed the money over and then accepted his change. Morgan already knew what his tip was, which said something about how often he ordered pizza from the guy's place, but oh well, there was vegetables and fruit on it…sorta.

That done he said his goodbyes and headed back inside, holding out the pizza to Bane since he was still waiting in the narrow hallway for him. "Put that on the table in front of the couch, will you? I'll get you a plate if you want some."

He took the box. "No thank you."

"Suit yourself." Following Bane out of the hallway and into the living room Blake headed straight for the couch, lowering himself carefully down before turning his attention to the pizza Bane had just set down, opening the lid to retrieve the first couple pieces and transfer them onto his plate.

"That is not a healthy dinner."

"It's got stuff from all the food groups."

)

A narrow eyed look greeted that statement, and then Bane was off and moving, disappearing from view as the man ignored his demands for him to come back. Deciding to remain right where he was, his gun was locked up and there really wasn't anything else in his place he objected to the teenager getting his hands on, Blake waited impatiently for the idiot to return while he ate his pizza. He paid attention though, genuinely surprised when Bane came back into the room having not even ventured into the bedroom or bathroom. Just the kitchen.

"Your fridge and cabinet cupboards are a disgrace. You have almost no healthy food."

Blinking at the condemnation in the teenager's tone, Blake considered the words and had to laugh. Or try to laugh in this case. He'd laugh then wince and curse, then laugh some more and so the cycle continued until he finally managed to get ahold of himself, both arms wrapped protectively around his waist as he bit down hard on his bottom lip.

"What was so funny?"

"A teenager lecturing someone about not eating health." Unable to stop himself from grinning like an idiot Blake could see that Bane didn't find this nearly as amusing as he did. "Look, I live alone, for Christ's sake. It's not like I've got someone to cook for and going to all that trouble just for me is pretty damn pointless, especially with the hours I keep. So yeah, not big on wasting money on food that won't get eaten and end up trashed. Convenient usually translates to unhealthy in some shape or form, but it keeps me going."

"I live alone and eat healthy."

"Yeah, and your 'job', if you want to call it that, revolves around keeping up your considerable bulk, which requires a special diet if you aren't using steroids, which you apparently aren't. So yeah, big difference. Now zip it and let me eat unless you have something not related to me you wanna talk about."

He was probably being scowled at, but the mask hid it and Blake decided to ignore Bane in general as he started in on another slice, not commenting when Bane took a seat beside him.

"When you're finished eating I want to look at your injuries. You obviously haven't been to see a professional."

"Hah, I did as a matter of fact. The son-of-a-bitch has a history of beating on his wife and her not pressing charges, so I made damn sure my injuries were on record so that I could press charges. Maybe while he's in jail for assaulting a police officer she'll wise up and get the divorce she should have asked for years ago. I wanted to go for attempted murder, but knowing the lawyers that won't stick."

A long pause. "A doctor duct taped you."

"No, I duct taped me. And you can look after dinner, I have to change the bags of vegetables then anyway."

Another weighty pause. "The bags of vegetables in your freezer are your ice packs?"

Since his mouth was full of pizza Blake nodded his head.

This time Bane's response was a telling eye twitch.

A knock on the door drew both their attention away from each other and towards the hallway, Blake starting to get up to see who it was, Bane's hand gently but firmly pushing him back into his seat, stating that he would see who it was.

"Right, because you answering my door would reassure anyone on the other side that I'm just fine."

Unfortunately Bane had already started moving and was ignoring him again, Blake barely on his feet and moving across his living room when he heard a very familiar voice demand for Bane to move the hell out of his way and where the hell was John?!

"I'm okay, Will! Bane, let him in!"

Moments later both men came marching into the room, Will again demanding to know what Bane was doing here, what the hell had happened to him, and was Bane responsible.

Bane's response to that was a death glare and the statement that it was Will who had no business being here, not him.

"He's here because he's stalking me and the bruises are work related. Bane had nothing to do with them. And Bane, Will and I are still friends so yes, he can come by and visit me if he wants to."

Walking over Will circled Blake to get the full extent of the injuries. Or at least what he could see of them. "Goddammit, John, you have got to stop getting your ass busted up like this. I do not want to have to come visit you in the hospital again this year, you hear me? And you're eating pizza for dinner? An extra-large, so you can space it out and eat it for the next couple of days, right? You told me you were going to start eating better!"

"You should see his fridge."

"Quiet you."

"And you let him in here while you're hurt, are you insane?"

Sticking his tongue out Blake could feel his ears reddening, embarrassed to have done it in front of Bane. "No, I'm not insane, thank you very much. He's got too much pride to jump me while I'm wounded."

Will's eyes narrowed, studying Blake for a moment before flashing over to meet Bane's hostile stare. "Just what sort of jumping are we talking about here?"

"Unlike you I can take care of him."

"I don't need to be taken care of!"

Bane and Will spoke in perfect unison when they stated that yes he did.

And just like that, to Blake's stunned shock, his former boyfriend and his sorta stalker bonded right in front of him as they discussed how completely unable he was to take proper care of himself. Will had plenty of firsthand knowledge he was apparently all too happy to share, and Bane had been collecting evidence on him for a couple weeks now and therefore had plenty to add as well. He couldn't even get a word in edgewise when he tried to stop them!

He'd have thrown his hands into the air in exasperation if he had been up to it.

Giving them both the finger, not that they noticed, Blake stomped as much as he was able to on his way back to the couch to eat his fucking pizza and drink his sugar filled Coke and to hell with the both of them. If they were still around once he finished his present slice he'd get an ice cream bar out of his freezer and eat it in front of them too.

)

Of course eventually the two remembered that he was still in the room, shaking their heads over the ice cream bar he was eating, the remaining pizza having been stowed away in the fridge to be finished the next day. Defiantly he just glared back at them, neither looking terribly impressed or concerned about the fact that they were currently in his shit books. No, Will actually grinned and gave Bane a sympathetic pat on the shoulder as he stated the obvious, which was that short of force feeding him there was only so much anyone could do to keep him in line.

"Fuck both of you."

"He's not my type, and none of us are the sharing type." Will wiggled his eyebrows and then headed over to the shelves that flanked the television, scanning the DVDs there until he pulled out the first season and second season of 'Sherlock'. "Mind if I borrow?"

"Will you leave if I say yes?"

"Yes."

"Then yes."

"Thanks. Have it back to you within the week. Nice talking to you this time around, Bane."

Bane studied the hand he was being offered and then shook it. "Likewise."

Manly ritual complete Will sent him a wink and then headed out, the sound of the front door closing behind him signaling that they were once again alone.

Fine with being rude at this point Blake smiled as he informed Bane that he could head out too.

"Not until I see the injuries for myself."

Crap, he should have asked Will to take Bane with him when he was leaving. At least his ex would have stood a chance at moving Bane regardless of what the kid wanted. Of course odds were Bane would have won in the end so it was probably for the best that Will hadn't tried to get into the pissing match that could have occurred instead. And since he was too sore and tired to argue at this point Blake opted to not even bother arguing. He got to his feet, moved away from the couch and table and then reached down to start tugging off the tape instead.

"I'll do it."

Letting the end he was tugging on go, Blake told him to go ahead, figuring it probably would go faster this way. The sooner Bane looked at the bruises and helped his secure the new ice packs the sooner the current bane of his existence, pun intended, would leave.

That he hadn't thought this through very well occurred to him only when Bane's fingers began to gently prod the colorful bruising that had erupted over his side, shocking him with the fact that despite his age Bane's hands were definitely a man's. Large, strong, and heavily calloused, moving over his skin with a sureness that made his thoughts veer in directions that they most definitely shouldn't have.

"Stay here."

Blake thought about asking why but didn't bother, simply watching as Bane left the room, returning moments later with what looked like a jar of some sort of cream in his hand. "What's that?"

"Something to help heal your injuries."

When Bane unscrewed the lid Blake got a whiff of the cream. "Dear God, what's that smell? It's…is it made of road kill or something?"

"I've been told it smells like a wet yak."

"A yak, huh? Here's hoping I never meet one." Wrinkling his nose, Blake made a mental note to spray himself with some cologne first chance he got, since there was no way he wasn't going to end up smelling like a yak seeing as Bane was already rubbing the disgusting cream into his skin. And if it got him on his feet faster, well that was more important than the smell.

"When you've healed up you need to train so this doesn't happen again."

"If you mean physically then yeah, I know. I used to be pretty decent on the streets, but the academy and the higher ups want their cops to fight properly, not down and dirty. I've gotten rusty, and there always seems to be other stuff I've got to do." That was pretty much the story of his relationships too, not that he was going to discuss that with Bane.

"I'll train you."

Okay, there were just no words for how laughable that idea was. "Right, because your boys would just love it if you brought in a cop to train with them at your dojo. Not to mention the idea of having my butt kicked into shape in front of gang members who generally love to see cops maimed and would be more than happy to help in the maiming sounds like a great idea. I don't know why I didn't think of that before."

"No one will touch you but me."

"I'll-damn…you're touching me now so my comeback doesn't work."

Bane chuckled, and didn't rub it in figuratively.


	7. Removing Bandages

Removing Bandages

Up until Blake's comment about the touching Bane hadn't been thinking about what he was doing beyond the medical. The fact that the man had wrapped himself up with duct tape had made his state of undress humorous earlier, and the 'unwrapping' not the least bit sexy since the bruising had been nasty, though thankfully the extent of the damage from what he could tell without seeing the X-rays himself. But now that Blake had mentioned the touching thing-he was suddenly very aware of who he was touching. And suddenly Bane couldn't help but look past the bruising to the body the colors exploded over, his fingers starting to stroke rather than rub as his eyes memorized what he was looking at.

"Bane."

Recognizing that tone Bane moved out of his crouched position, stating that he'd do the arm now. When there was no move to stop him he focused on rubbing the cream into the arm, which wasn't nearly as bad as the side. "Your arms show some strength, much stronger than your torso."

"I've heard beanpole jokes all my life."

"With a proper diet and training you could improve your physicality to the point where your body would be better able to serve you as both a weapon and a tool. Your current fragility-"

"My WHAT?"

Lowering his hand Bane deliberately brushed his fingers down Blake's waist. "I can feel your ribs."

"That does not make me frail! I once took down a guy who weighed more than you and I put together!"

Not about to take that at face value Bane pointed out that taking down morbidly obese people wasn't exactly hard to do. They were generally slow, weak, and more likely to hurt themselves than someone else unless they fell on them.

Laughter greeted that statement, those adorable dimples flashing as Blake shook his head and grinned at him. "Very true, but in this case the guy was seven feet and a lot of that weight was muscle. An enforcer for what's left of Falcone's organization a couple years ago. He and I had a difference of opinion when it came to my right to arrest him."

"By ripping out his twin nipple piercing while he was holding you up in the air by the neck. I heard about it."

A scowl greeted that statement.

"He deserved what he got, including that final kick." At the time the story had been told to him he'd felt in danger of losing the contents of his stomach. The idea of pierced nipples was bad enough, but the idea of piercing your penis and then being kicked there…there were no words for how much that had to hurt. But the assehole had been posed a threat to Blake, and so deserved what had happened to him. The sheer stupidity of getting that piercing alone meant he'd deserved it.

And then Blake was moving away from him and that had his full attention.

"I agree about the kick. And now I think I'll get the frozen vegetables, bandages and duct tape and wrap myself up again. Thank for the yak stuff."

As much as he enjoyed the sight of his cop's ass, and he was surprised at how much he did, Bane was more than ready to state for the record that he was getting more than a little annoyed at how often he found himself seeing it while Blake walked away from him. That was really starting to piss him off, actually.

But regardless of that fact Blake was headed in the direction of the kitchen, having scooped up the bandages he'd removed earlier and was now tugging the used tape off them as he walked without so much as a glance in his direction.

Following after Blake once he was sure he wouldn't say or do something he'd regret, Bane could only shake his head as he watched the bag of vegetables be pressed against the bruised arm before the roll of now tape free bandage was retrieved to begin the awkward task of trying to wind it properly around the cop's arm. "Let me do it."

Taking it from Blake's hand Bane took over the bandaging, accepting the duct tape afterwards and using it as well. "This is a juvenile way of handling your injuries."

"Being a juvenile you would know."

Grabbing the other vegetable bag and pressing it against Blake's side Bane deliberately counted to ten in his mind before going to work wrapping the next set of bandages around it as he spoke. "Your decision to constantly throw my age in my face is what's juvenile. You know, in your bones, how the streets age you. I can't remember being a child…when did you stop?"

Bane could see the words and the truth of them hit, the shadows and demons that lived behind that Mr. Nice Guy persona showing through in those darkened eyes before they were reined in with long honed skill. And he found himself wishing that they'd been closer in age for a new reason, one that had nothing to do with Blake's use of their age difference as a barrier. He wished they'd been of age together so that he could have prevented the darkness from touching this cop who fought against it for others every day. Which was a weird thought for him to have, Bane mused, since he could count on one hand the number of people in his life whose wellbeing he cared that much about.

And he hadn't known of this man's existence even a month ago.

Pressing the matter to gloss over his thoughts Bane asked it again, stepping back since he'd finished the duct taping.

"When did I stop? Couldn't tell you. It was a gradual thing. But it was short childhood, yeah. I'm sorry you didn't get one at all."

"Not your fault. I was in the system by the time you became a part of it."

A long pause, Bane not sure how to interpret the look on Blake's face, the way he was rubbing the back of his neck with his good hand.

"Okay, fine, dammit. Take a seat on at the table. You want me to treat you like an adult then we'll do this like fucking adults." To punctuate his words Blake went over to take one of the two seats at a small table Bane guessed the cop used for meals not taken in the living room.

Intrigued Bane walked over to the other side, taking a seat so that they were facing each other, waiting to see what would happen next.

"So this is how it's going to go. We're both going to tell the truth and be so blunt we make Sherlock seem circumspect and considerate. You're going to tell me just what the hell you want from me and whatever you're trying to start here and I'm going to listen and not say a word until you're done. Then you're going to give me that courtesy and when I'm done we're either going to argue in increasingly raised voices or come to some sort of agreement. I'm guessing the former."

When Blake motioned for him to start Bane considered and then shook his head. "You first."

)

"Should have expected that." The words were muttered, but the next ones came out loud and clear as Blake looked him dead in the eyes. "I'm going to guess that you know a hell of a lot more about me than I do about you because you talked to people and I've only read reports and talked to a few people who really don't like you and are highly biased. So springboarding off the idea that you do know my preferences-yes. Yes if you weren't a criminal and nineteen I'd be all over you like a fat kid on candy. Physically you're what I look for, and you seem smart, mature, mentally strong…and you won't be caught off-guard by my dark moments, which is always an unexpected and appreciated bonus. But what you have to understand here is, even if I could get over the age thing…I'm a cop. You're making a name for yourself in crime and IAB would be all over my ass about you in a heartbeat, because I wouldn't hide our relationship even if I could. That's not my style, not who I am. And even above and beyond that…I don't do sexual relationships with expiry dates. I don't do one nightstands or sex only relationships. It's beyond stupid health and safety wise…and I don't-won't be reduced to someone who's good enough to sleep with but not enough to have breakfast with in the morning. Call me a girl, plenty have, but I-you and I, I think-we both have our lives planned out and you having a cop in yours and me having a criminal in mine…that wasn't in my plan, and I can't see it in yours."

Huh.

As though he'd heard that mental thought Blake smiled just a little as he stated that he could take a minute or two to digest that if he needed to.

It was mortifying, but he needed to.

He hadn't even considered the IAB angle, which he should have, but it was really the honesty part he was reeling from. He hadn't expected that level of it. Nor was he the type to speak bluntly and with complete honesty, his words generally chosen carefully and to reflect what he wanted from the other person or what he knew that person wanted to hear. Only with Barsad was he rarely, very rarely, completely honest. But he could be honest enough about this, as Blake had been honest with him.

"I don't know what I want from or with you. This is-unchartered territory for me. Sex has never interested me overly, though I have been with two women who expressed interest because it seemed-a normal thing to do. One wanted the status of being my girlfriend, and the other the protection it would bring. They didn't want me and I didn't want them, specifically. I want you, specifically, and I don't see that changing any time soon, especially if I'm not given a chance. So I have no expiration date in mind."

A pause, waiting to see if he'd say more possibly, and then Blake proposed the idea that perhaps his experience with women had just turned him off the gender and he was getting curious about sleeping with men. The hopefulness in his tone irritated Bane big time.

"If that were the case any male with your physical characteristics would do. I'm surrounded by men for the majority of the day, many of them half dressed or even undressed in the locker rooms and showers. They do nothing for me beyond the curiosity you seem to have aroused in me about the possibility that I might enjoy sex with another man more."

Blake's response to this statement was to lay his head down on the table and groan, which Bane took to mean he was making some progress with this particular argument.

"You know the fact that you're a virgin when it comes to guy on guy sex is another strike against you." The words were muffled given Blake's current bent over position, but Bane got the just of it.

"So if I got experience you would be more likely to give me a chance?"

Head raised, serious scowl. "You are not going out there and banging some random guys just to prove you can to me. What part of my statement that that's not safe did you fail to comprehend?"

"Why would you care?"

"You little shit. Don't you-fine, go out there and get laid. Do what you want." The underlying wish that he get some communicable disease that would cause his dick to wither away and fall off went unsaid but heavily implied.

It made him laugh, which surprised the hell out of both of them.

An intrigued expression flashing over Blake's face, his cop leaning across the table to grasp the scarf Bane was wearing. He allowed him to pull it down, giving the other man his first glimpse of what he actually looked like without some sort of cover over it.

A dumbstruck look, and then words that were completely uncensored tumbled out of Blake's mouth.

"Fuck me, you-holy-when you get to be my age you are going to be so fucking hot…with some stubble and at the least enough hair –a buzz cut maybe-shit. It would be a crime against gay men if you decided to be straight or asexual. That mouth is made for-I am so going to hell."

Blake's head dropped back down on the table, only this time he started whacking his forehead against it.

Sliding his hand across the table Bane put it between Blake's head and the table. "You're injured enough already."

A dark look and then Blake was out of his chair and moving as quickly as he was capable of over to his line of cupboards, opening one of them and scowling at what was missing there.

Knowing what Blake had to be thinking, being a cop and all, Bane saved him the trouble. "No, I didn't steal the whiskey that was in there. I poured it down the drain. Cops have a tendency to develop a dependence on addictive substances to drown out things. And it tends to be a cycle, something passed down through the generations."

"And my father drank." Blake finished, looking at him long enough to roll his eyes before turning back to retrieve something else from the cupboard. A tin of powder hot chocolate. "I keep the liquor for guests or really, really cold days when I need the hot burn of it. I know the cop statistics when it comes to divorce and drug and alcohol abuse too. Not the way I'm going to go, so you wasted the whiskey prematurely."

"I'll reimburse you then."

"No need, it was almost empty anyway. A new bottle was already on my shopping list."

"You have a shopping list? Where?"

Blake chuckled, shaking his head as he went about making the hot chocolate. "Tell you what…I'll let you add-ten things to my list, which I am picking up tomorrow, and I'll give you my word to eat them provided it's not KD or bologna. In return you promise to drink your share of this hot chocolate in silence with me, and then help me out of my bandage getup so I can take another painkiller and turn in early. We'll both take a few days to think about what we said before. Deal?"

"Will it be time to take another pill then?"

"Yes."

"Then it's a deal. Why not KD though, one would think something so quick and unhealthy would appeal to you."

"Ate too much of it as a kid. My dad couldn't cook."

"I see."

And that was all they said besides good night for the rest of the evening, but both parted thinking that the silence hadn't been awkward or stilted in any way. They both knew, at least for them, that that meant a hell of a lot more than being able to find things to talk about.

)

It was a couple days after his visit with Blake that Bane arranged through the family lawyer to see Talia again. He'd arranged to get second and third opinions on her case and every lawyer he'd contacted or spoken to had said the same. That given the evidence against his adopted sister, and the apparent intention of the DA to prosecute her to the full extent of the law if necessary, she would be wise to cop the deal and go to St. Catherine's. It was a joke of a juvenile hall, everyone knew that, and the DA was even willing to expunge the visit from her record if she behaved and wasn't brought up on any new charges within four years of her release.

She was taking the deal, and this would be their last visit before she was moved to St. Catherine's.

With the lawyer present they talked of things one would expect people in their situation to talk about, building the illusion that they were just normal siblings worried about normal things and looking after each other. It was when Talia politely asked said lawyer to give them a few minutes alone, her eyes shining with crocodile tears as the man left, that the reality of them and their relationship came out in the closing of the door.

"So what's this I hear about you and Officer Blake?"

He wasn't surprised she'd heard, Talia was much better at forging connections with people than he was. They didn't have the common sense to see she was just as dangerous, more so perhaps, because she pretended to be someone else while people knew, instinctively, what he was and the danger he posed to them should they cross him.

"He interests me."

"How? You found out something we can use against him?"

"No. He's a clean cop. I'm trying to get him to go out with me." She'd hear of it soon enough, so it was better to come from him. She liked having secrets, not having them kept from her.

"Trying to-if you had a bad sense of humor I'd think you were joking…but if skinny, arrogant, goody goodys have become your type then there are better choices than that one. And since when have you been interested in men, period?"

Bane barely shrugged his shoulders. "He interests me, as I said."

She already knows this, Bane realized as she watched him so carefully, knowing her tells as subtle as they were. Someone had already tipped her off, her reaction giving her away. Talia was very possessive of him, and had little respect for the other men in their lives. In fact he'd gotten the opinion that part of the reason she didn't trash him the way she did most men was his former lack of interest in sex. Talia's opinions when it came to men and sex were crude, derogatory, and dark.

"A clean cop doesn't date a gang leader."

"So he tells me."

"Well if you get your way, and I've never known you not to…at least you'll be as big a pain in his ass literally, as he was in mine metaphorically."


	8. Under His Skin

Under His Skin

Keeping his still tender arm pressed up against his body protectively, the hallway was damn crowded and his body was still seriously sore, Blake wove his way through the cops, witnesses, and suspects with practiced ease. His shift would be over in a couple of hours, thank God, and then he could take another pain killer and zone out on his couch with a bowl of soup. Crappy, achy days in January called for chicken noodle in his books, and Bane couldn't complain that it wasn't healthy for him. Though then again, given the food the teenager had forced him to buy, with a great deal of specificity in terms of brand and type, anything remotely processed was evil in Bane's books.

And shit, shit, double shit. He had to stop thinking about Bane!

If not for the power of the painkillers he'd probably be seriously sleep deprived on top of everything else, Blake acknowledged as he fought the urge to bang his head against a flat surface. Something he had the urge to do a lot these days to punish himself for being unable to not think about sex and Bane. The two topics were joined at the hip in his mind these days and if that didn't stop he was going to start feeling like a house elf from Harry Potter.

What he needed was to get laid. Badly. Getting himself off just wasn't cutting it anymore, and it was downright embarrassing how often he was having to do that lately thanks to a certain someone refusing to leave his sanity and libido alone. You'd think he was the fucking teenager the way his stupid dick was behaving these days.

"Yo, Blake! Got a minute?"

Looking in the direction of the voice Blake mentally bit back a groan even as he nodded his head. Sergeant Green was very yummy in street clothes, but in uniform, as he was now, he was a warm from the oven cookie with vanilla ice cream and melted chocolate drizzled all over it. He was also bisexual, though he kept that under wraps at work. They'd dated briefly when he'd first joined the force, but it hadn't gone anywhere. The yummy Scott Green was not someone he should be talking to while jonesing for sex. But he was his superior officer, not like he had a choice.

"What can I do for you, Sir?"

"Need to talk to you about something. Walk with me."

Nodding Blake fell into step, waiting for the other man to say something but he didn't, instead making a beeline for the nearby door that led to the stairwell. Uh oh, that could be bad. He'd spent some time in the stairwells with Scott before and they definitely hadn't been discussing a case or the Rogues' latest winning streak. Shit.

His apprehension growing more and more and they took to the stairs and then under them so that they were out of sight for the most part, Blake came to attention as soon as Scott finally looked in his direction and opened his mouth.

"How are you? I heard you took a hard hit three days ago."

"I've taken harder ones. Mostly just bruises at this point. What's with the uniform?"

"Morsten case. Foley wanted us in full uniform for the press conference."

Together they rolled their eyes, their distain for Foley one of the things they'd always had in common. The man was a born politician, not a cop, and neither respected him as a result.

Feeling the awkward silence coming on, or worse a misinterpretation of this on his part, Blake asked Scott what he could do for him.

No, no he wasn't misinterpreting what was going on here at all, Blake realized as Scott moved in closer, definitely infringing on his personal space as he raised his hands to gently cupped his face between his hands, his thumbs caressing his cheeks. He'd always loved when Scott did that, and the other man knew it, dammit.

"I was wondering if maybe you'd like to come by my place tonight, after shift. I've got a steak with your name on it. I've missed you lately, I hate that we don't talk much anymore."

"I thought you were seeing someone, a lawyer working for Henson and Temple." He'd seen the two sucking faces less than a week ago when he'd gone to testify in court.

"We broke up."

"And you're looking at me to be your rebound?"

"I'm looking to make us both very happy."

Blake saw the kiss coming, and he could have moved or said something to stop it, but he found the sensible side of his brain shutting down as he tipped his head back a little instead, wanting just a taste of what he was missing. And oh how he'd missed being kissed by someone who knew him and his preferences as well as Scott did. Especially when he found himself being herded backwards until his back hit the wall, Scott using his larger size to cage him in just the way he liked it. Blake wasn't even embarrassed when the needy mewl for more escaped his lips as his fingers dug into the other man's shoulders, his body vibrating with need and the chance to have all his itches scratched by someone who knew what he was doing.

But as good as Scott tasted, and he did taste delicious, Blake couldn't help the treacherous thought that this wasn't the man he wanted pressing him up against a wall. And just as he wouldn't let anyone use him for sex…he couldn't very well use someone in return.

So when they broke apart, Scott's tongue coming out to trace his lips before retreating back into his own mouth, Blake couldn't stop one last whimper from escaping his throat, though he managed to stifle it a little. "Scott." He had to clear said throat. "Dinner…sounds great, and all the rest…but I'm going to have to pass. I'm not interested in being your rebound, and…there's a guy interested in me right now, and he'd squash you like a bug if he thought you were competition."

"But you aren't sleeping with him, are you?"

This was the problem with dating a good cop, they saw too damn much. "No, and I'm really trying to keep my hands out of the cookie jar there. If you're still interested in a few weeks ask me again, but right now…I'd just be saying yes because I need to get laid."

"I have no problem being used for sex."

Blake could hear his groan echoing up the stairwell. "Have some mercy, please."

Scott's response was to very knowing, sexy chuckle that scraped over Blake's already sensitive nerve endings. "Funny, you were never the sort to demand mercy. That was usually the other way around, given your love of marathon sex and your wall goal."

Knowing he was in trouble, oh boy was in he in trouble, Blake opted to draw his line in the sand so to speak. "I won't argue with that. And I'll tell you what, you walk out of here with me, stand in the middle of the nearest bullpen with me and kiss me brainless…I'll give you all the sex you could possibly want, however you want it."

"Cheap shot."

"The truth hurts."

"A few weeks, huh?"

Understanding that they were still good, and that maybe he would be asked again in a little while, Blake nodded his head and smiled. "If it makes you feel better I'm going to be suffering that much more for the rest of the day because of you."

"A little."

)

The storm having passed, so to speak, Blake said his goodbyes and Scott did the same, the two parting on fairly good terms as the latter headed out the nearest door while Blake watched him go, needing a minute of quiet to catch his breath and cool his head a little, not to mention he had a raging hard-on he was trying to deflate by imaging women naked, which usually did it for him. Wasn't working so well, but the forced, calm breathing and quiet helped enough that he was fairly sure he wouldn't embarrass himself if he ran into someone on the stairwell.

And with that in mind he stepped out from under the stairs, intending to go up a floor to his current bullpen to work on some fives before calling it a night.

He did not expect to see Bane leaning against the stairwell wall, waiting for him.

"What the-how long have you been there?" He could feel his ears going red, but Blake had more important things to worry about at the moment. Namely the fact that behind the literal mask Bane was wearing was another one. He couldn't read anything in Bane's cold, blank eyes, but the temperature of the room was dropping fast.

No answer came from Bane, just that hard stare that made Blake want to squirm, and so he tried asking a different question as he walked up the short flight of stairs so that they were on equal footing so to speak. "Why are you in my cop shop?"

"Your comrades like to haul me in regularly, just for fun. I was on my way out."

Well at least Bane hadn't expended the time and resources to come all the way here to see him, just to overhear the conversation he'd just had with Scott. And Bane had overheard, he didn't doubt that as the seconds ticked by. So he'd deal with the situation now before things got out of hand. "If you cause Scott harm in any way we're done. Even if he asks me again in a few weeks, which I doubt, I'll probably say no. It didn't work between us the first time for a reason."

"Because he wants you to be his dirty secret."

"That and he's even more of a workaholic than I am. Which shouldn't really be possible, but there you go. He wants to be commissioner someday."

Bane continued to study him. "What's your wall goal?"

"My…oh, that." Shaking his head Blake took a moment to ponder just what he could have done in a past life to deserve this before answering the question. "I told Scott that if he could successfully fuck my brains out against every wall in my place in one weekend I'd-do something he wanted rather badly. I knew he couldn't manage it, but I have challenged a few others to try without success." Will had almost managed it, but he thought it wise not to mention that.

With some interest Blake watched Bane's eyes glaze over, the look amusing him enough that Blake decided to wait him out, doing his best not to smirk.

"The sergeant lacks the upper body strength for such an endeavor." Was what Bane finally said.

Chuckling, he couldn't help it, Blake nodded and agreed that that had indeed been the case.

"I have both the upper body strength and the stamina. And I would kiss you in the middle of your bullpen."

Shit, he'd walked right into that one, hadn't he? And now he was imagining it and fuck…this was so not his day. And Bane would so have the strength, not to mention the quick refraction period of a teenager…and there was no position he loved more than being taken up against a wall, watching his partner's muscles flex and bulge as they were used to hold him in place, shiny with sweat from both their bodies while…

Blake wasn't sure he would have felt Bane's hand when it cupped his chin to force him to look at him if not for the odd wetness of it. Moving out of Bane's grasp Blake caught the man's hand and turned it, eyes widening at the blood streaking all over it.

"What the…Bane, what the fuck did you do to your hand?!"

Waving away Bane's apology for getting blood on him, like he gave a fuck about that, Blake reached into his pocket for his handkerchief, using it to blot at the blood to reveal the skin underneath and the presence of…

"Where did you get these huge splinters? Hold this." Giving Bane the now bloodied handkerchief Blake quickly got the first one out, having to work to get the second, and zero luck with the third, his nails too short to grasp it. "Dammit." Withdrawing his Swiss Army knife from his pocket Blake let Bane see the blade he was going to use first, assuring him that it was clean.

"Go ahead."

Using it carefully Blake opened the skin a little more and then carefully slid the piece of wood out. "There, that's all of them. Now you wanna tell me what you did?" Plucking the handkerchief out of Bane's hand again Blake used it as a field bandage, wrapping it around the palm.

"It's nothing. I need to get going."

"Normally you want to stick around…you didn't hurt anyone before we met up here, did you?"

"No."

Sighing in exasperation, he could see from the look in Bane's eyes that the teenager had no intention of discussing this further, which was just typical, Blake swiped a hand through his hair and then shrugged. "Fine, you don't want to tell me that's your business. Just don't do it again. And I'll see you later."

He was turning to go when Bane's not injured hand shot out, fingers wrapping around his arm. "I could cook you dinner. Steak."

Staring at the fingers wrapped so gently but firmly around him arm, Blake slowly lifted his gaze up to meet Bane's, all the reasons he should say no there in the back of his mind, but he was too tired and just plain frazzled by the events of the last fifteen odd minutes to care. "You're offering to let me into your den of iniquity?"

"My apartment."

"Okay. When?"

"Tonight? Seven?"

"I'll be there. And I like my steak well done. Now scram before my common sense comes back and I suddenly remember I have other plans."

"Until later then."

Watching him go, obviously taking him seriously, Blake smiled and then started up the stairs, halfway up the stairs when he noticed something very, very wrong with the bannister on his right. "What the…hell…"

He knew the bannister had been fine on the way down, he always used it because the stairs were too damn narrow and he'd almost fallen a few times over the years going up and down them too fast for his own good. But now, for about a hand's width the wood was splintered and-splintered.

Understanding dawning Blake slowly placed a hand over the damaged area and then looked down to see what the view was, the space he and Scott had been earlier mostly visible.

"Son of a bitch…and why do I find this sorta hot?"

Maybe he did need to schedule a brain scan. It certainly couldn't hurt at this point. And he'd need to see that someone dealt with the bannister too, that was an accident waiting to happen.

)

It was about six thirty when Blake got off his bus and started to walk down the snow covered sidewalk in the direction of Bane's neighborhood. In all honesty he'd considered canceling this dinner a couple of times, talking himself out of it because he was neither a coward nor the sort to go back on his word without a damn good reason. Free food was free food, and Bane had had three pieces of wood shoved into his flesh because of him, indirectly. Having dinner with the guy was the least he could do.

Cursing under his breath, because he wasn't kidding himself here, Blake acknowledged that Bane was wearing down his defenses with a speed and determination that kept bowling him over. He'd never been pursued like this before, and it was going to his head.

Stupid years in foster care.

When a body detached himself from the shadows Blake tensed automatically, one hand going around to slide under the back of his coat and shirt, fingers wrapping around his gun. But he recognized the other man once he got close enough, the streetlight giving him enough light to make the ID.

"Barsad, right?"

"Yes. Bane asked me to meet you, to make sure you got to the dojo in one piece."

"I see." Dropping his hand away and shoving both back into his pockets, Blake didn't bother to argue that he didn't need a babysitter. Besides, he was curious about this guy, McCormick had said that Barsad was the closest thing to a best friend Bane had. And his second in command. "So how long have you known Bane?"

"Couple years."

"I'd imagine you aren't thrilled with the idea of him making friends with a cop." He already knew Talia hated his guts and would gladly run him over with a steamroller, if Bane's best friend hated him too Bane might give up on him before they ended up naked and fucking each other's brains out.

The look Barsad sent in his direction was openly mocking. "I don't think friends is the right word. And who he sleeps with is his business."

Ah, okay, not quite the response he'd been expecting. Given that Bane had stated he'd only ever slept with women, and the fact that the idiot was determined to become Gotham's next major pain in the ass, he'd assumed that Bane would want to keep his sexual experimentation to himself. Of course he'd also been at a loss trying to figure out how Bane would explain him to his gang members if he were to start seeing Bane, but apparently his juvenile delinquent had more balls then men three times his age and didn't care who knew about his new interest in men.

"Trying to use him would not end well."

"I'm not. I've been upfront about the fact that I want Talia in jail and when she ends up there it won't be because I used him for information. I don't use kids. And as for the other shit he's involved in, this isn't my jurisdiction, and even if it was I don't whore myself for information. I'm not here to hurt him, you have my word."

"In my experience the word of a cop doesn't mean much."

"I've never given you my word. I keep mine."

"We'll see."


	9. Into The Fray

Into The Fray

Doing his best not to wring his hands, that would just be embarrassing on a number of levels, Bane walked through his apartment for the third time to make sure that everything was as it should be. The fact that he was an extremely neat person to begin with, and didn't have many personal possessions to leave lying around anyway, didn't seem to be computing in his mind at the moment. Telling himself that he'd had people over for dinner before wasn't doing him any good either, since he'd never cared this much about what Barsad or Talia thought of his living quarters. And thinking about his place was better than worrying about his personal appearance, Bane mused, which was something he'd never given a damn about before and found even more nerve-wracking than cooking the food and setting the scene so to speak.

He was wearing the blue-grey shirt Talia had bought him a year ago because she said it went with his eyes, whatever that meant, and he'd left off the mask which he figured would make Blake happy, or at least cut back on the tin can accessory comments…but there really wasn't anything else he could think to do. The idea that there was something he could do to make himself more physically appealing but didn't know was bothering him like a bad tooth.

And no, what was really bothering him was the fact that he'd learned today that he potentially had a rival and an end date where his cop was concerned. Blake might have said that he wasn't likely to take that other cop up on his offer of sex, but he'd heard the sounds Blake had made when he'd been kissed, heard the weakening in the man's tone of voice the more the other cop had pushed. This Scott apparently knew Blake's weaknesses well…and didn't come with all the black marks Blake had already assigned him.

But at least he had made it clear he wouldn't be ashamed of people knowing he desired Blake, which was more than that weak-spined other cop could say, Bane reminded himself, refusing to believe he could be beaten already. Actually, because of his basic nature, he now wanted Blake more than ever, not about to lose his prize to someone so unworthy.

Checking his phone when it went off Bane read the text, which was from Barsad and stated that they were about to reach the elevator. Typing back an affirmative that the message had been received Bane headed back down the hallway and towards the elevator doors that were the main entrance to his place.

Barsad had stayed behind on the main floor, so when the doors opened only Blake stepped out, red cheeked from the cold and his hair wet from the snow that had melted in it.

"Hey."

"Good evening. Welcome."

The smile that curved Blake's lips was one of amusement. "Thanks for inviting me. How's the hand?"

It took a moment for him to remember the earlier injury. He hadn't given it a thought since Blake had made such a fuss over it. "It's fine."

"Hmmm."

Watching Blake undo his winter coat and then removed his service revolver from his back, putting it in a large pocket inside the coat he was pretty sure had been added for that purpose, Bane didn't comment on that fact, thinking the man wise to come to this section of the city armed. Not that anyone in his territory would hurt the cop, he'd already put the word out there, but still…there were the occasional morons who thought they could come by and cause trouble.

Also remembering his manners Bane offered to take the coat from him.

"Sure, thanks."

Taking the coat Bane headed over to the nearby coat rack and hung it up, rather liking the way it looked side by side with his own coat. He'd only just started to get used to the idea of living with people he could think of as his when Talia's father had died and it was decided he should live here to oversee the dojo while she remained in house her father had bought for her with the live-in housekeeper. Talia had visited often, of course…but it wasn't the same.

But he was used to being alone so it was no big deal.

Sensing Blake's closeness as his cop approached, Bane made no move to stop the other man as his wrist was gently grasped, his hand turned over so that Blake could see the palm for himself, fingers moving gently over the red skin.

"You've cleaned it to make sure it doesn't get infected?"

"No. My immune system is strong, the wounds very minor."

"Let me guess, you're one of those guys women point to when they want to rant about how men are so stupidly macho that they could lose a limb and they'd still claim it was just a flesh wound. Like in 'Monty Python and the Search for the Holy Grail'."

"I don't know what that last part means, though I do know what the Holy Grail is. And if I lost a limb I would have the area seen to so as not to bleed out. Only an idiot would dismiss it so easily."

A chuckle, and then the top of his head was being rubbed in a gesture that was…affectionate. Or at least a little bit. "Good thing I anticipated you not taking care of it and told Barsad to check it out tomorrow."

Hmm. While he wasn't terribly thrilled at the idea that Blake seemed to think he was incapable of taking care of himself, the idea that he cared enough to not only check on the wounds but make sure they'd be seen to later pleased him.

"What did you think of Barsad?"

"You have a loyal friend there. Keep him around."

Not sure what to say to that, he preferred not to think about the ease with which he seemed to lose people when he wasn't even trying to, Bane opted to change the subject, stating that he should check on how their dinner was progressing. Blake could come with him or look around if he liked.

"I'll invade your privacy a little and then come find you." Blake grinned as he said it, not even trying to hide his curiosity about getting a look around.

Amused as well, knowing there'd be nothing for the cop to find, Bane told him to go ahead.

)

He'd finished looking over the food, it would be done in about ten minutes should everything go according to plan, and was debating going to find Blake when the other man came into the kitchen and headed straight for his cupboards to start rooting around in there to see what else there was to see. Since he'd basically done the same thing before, when he'd gone in a futile search to find healthy food in Blake's apartment, Bane figured turnaround was fair play. And again, there was nothing in this space that he had any problem with the cop getting his hands on.

"Okay, it's official. You need a life even more than I do."

"I have a life."

"No, Dude, you really don't. I mean hypothetically you could have stripped this place of any signs of life before I got here, but why bother? I mean now I totally get why you have such an amazing body, all you must do is work out, read, and do gang related stuff. There's no television, and your laptop is so out of date I'm pretty sure we cops have newer ones. And our budget is tighter than Foley's ass." Blake's expression conveyed well his feelings towards this Foley person. "And none of your books are current fiction, not one! Not to mention the fact that you have a sister, evil psychopath that she is, so how is it that there's no color in this place, much less useless knickknacks girls usually force on guys when they're trying to domesticate them? I'm an only child, who grew up in foster care, and even I have some of that crap from female friends. And you don't even want to get me started on the lack of junk food in your cupboards because it's just sad, seriously."

Mind struggling to compute all that, it took some doing, Bane finally found his voice enough to state that one wasn't supposed to insult one's host.

"Right, cause I don't have a grocery list with your writing all over it, Mr. Make Me Eat Spinach that's not in a dip. And I'm not insulting you, I'm telling you this for your own good. I've seen juvie rooms with more character than yours."

"Spinach is good for you, and materialism is not a quality I value, now or ever."

The punch Blake gave his shoulder was incredibly light, and not meant to harm. "It's not materialism when you're just taking basic steps to make this place a home, Kid. This is where you eat and sleep, but you have exactly one room that's really yours, which is your library. Can you really read French, Latin, and whatever other languages are used in those fancy hardcover books by the way?"

"Mostly. A few others I'm still learning. And Talia is not an evil psychopath." He probably should have argued that first, but he was smart enough to know that talking to Blake about Talia was not a good thing generally.

"Do you prefer sociopath? I'm flexible between the two. You know what she is, Bane, as much as you might pretend otherwise. We've both seen evil up close and personal too many times not to know when we're looking at it."

Yes he knew evil, just as he knew well the demons that lived inside Talia. Just as he could see the demons that lived in Blake's eyes, Barsad's eyes, his own eyes. They were all masters of those demons though, controlling them and keeping the darkness at bay. How Blake could think Talia's demons were more destructive than his made no sense, or perhaps it did when he considered possible motivation for the statements against his adopted sister.

"Are you saying these things to try and make an enemy of me? So that I'll stop pursuing you and ease your conscience, which worries about me?"

Rather than hesitate, or beat around the bush as he'd expected, Blake answered the question right away. "That might play into it a little, but mostly I'm saying it because of something Barsad said that makes me think I need to make my feelings towards her very clear. I'm not using you to get her, and I don't ever want you to look back and think that that was my motive for coming here-or any future meetings, should they happen. I'm a threat to your sister, Bane. I will put her in jail personally if I can. Whatever develops here, if anything develops, won't change that. She needs to be put away."

"You're wrong."

"We'll see. And the steaks are done."

Dealing with that automatically Bane continued to argue his point, not backing down here as he stated that Blake was wrong about Talia, that he didn't know her the way he did. The two had just gotten off to a bad start.

When Blake didn't argue or pick up the argument Bane looked over at him questioningly, the cop's face giving away nothing as he leaned back against the counter with his hands in his pockets, his head turned towards him. "Being unable to argue your point would suggest you're wrong."

"Yeah, and I'm a cop, Bane. Very few people know better than us how deep in denial people can be about the people they love. The Double Ds alone drill that into your head within months of joining the force." The breath Blake blew out was coated in frustration. "For that matter, I have really gotta stop dating guys I meet on the job. I had almost this same conversation with Will when we started going out. Though is his case his brother's a snivelling, weak-willed jackass, who I ended up arresting a second time before Will and I split."

"Obviously he got over that, since you're still friends."

"Yeah, but he also would be the first to call his brother a variety of bad words, especially right before he has to go and tell his mom, yet again, that her baby is in jail."

"If you can put Talia away, justifiably, then I won't argue with you." He had faith in Talia, he and her father had trained her too well for the likes of Gotham City's police to successfully try and convict her for an offense serious enough for jail time.

And yet, a little voice whispered through Bane's mind, someone like his Officer Blake would be a canny and resourceful opponent there. Especially when the man was so obviously motivated and determined to see Talia behind bars and-

"I got her into juvie."

Eyes narrowing as the statement, Bane gave Blake his full attention, deliberately putting an edge in his voice as he stated that he knew a mere officer didn't have the power to lean on the D.A. hard enough to make the man do anything. Word had reached him that it had been Commissioner Gordon who'd done said leaning.

"True. Who do you think dogged him until he looked at her file?"

He could see the truth in Blake's eyes, and maybe that truth should have angered him, as perhaps the cop intended it too. But the whole thing, especially the use of the word 'dogged'...

Bane just had to laugh, and laugh some more at the dumbfounded expression that came over Blake's face in reaction.

And when he could finally talk Bane's voice was still laced with that amusement, the darker thoughts forgotten for the time being. "You're like a little terrier, and Talia is the bone in your mouth. You won't let this go, and you will gnaw and gnaw on the fact that you're sure she should be in jail until your teeth bleed."

"I am not a fucking ankle biter!"

"Would you prefer a cocker spaniel?"

"Hey, just because you'd probably be a fucking Newfoundland if you were a dog doesn't make me a fro fro one."

"Someone's unhappy they don't have a collar."

Apparently getting the double meaning, Blake snorted and then he started to laugh too.

)

Once they were done being amused, not to mention secretly relieved to have the air cleared so to speak, Bane suggested they load up their plate and head for the dining room, which they did. There were no snarky comments about the fact that he'd paired their steaks with baked potatoes with nothing extra on top and green beans, which Bane appreciated. He'd figured that there was already too much carbohydrates in Blake's system, but showing too much healthy stuff in the man's face wouldn't make him come back either. Hopefully the wine would compliment the meal since that was definitely not his area of expertise.

Pouring said wine into the glasses Bane handed Blake's over to him.

"Thank you."

Holding up his own glass in a cheers gesture it belatedly occurred to Bane that technically speaking he was underage when it came to the alcohol that was currently residing in his cup.

"You can have one glass. More than that and I'll have to bust you."

"Reading my mind, Officer?"

Blake just smiled and took a sip from his own glass. "It's good."

Setting their glasses aside they dug into their meal, a couple minutes going by before Blake spoke again.

"Sorry, about before…I could have been a little less of an assehole. I meant what I said...but I could have said it better."

"I like that you're honest and blunt. Most people aren't."

The dimples came into view. "Well all those shrinks and social workers I went through as a kid were big on me getting in touch with my emotions. Of course they really didn't want that, they just wanted me to be what they thought was normal, but constantly having to analyse your feelings and then tell them the opposite made me pretty self-aware after a while."

"They assigned such people to deal with me as well. I found them utterly useless."

Blake moved his head back and forth a little. "There are plenty out there who really want to help, do help the kids they work with. But kids like you and me…they can only get through if they know what it is to walk in our shoes. And lucky them, that's not usually the case."

"Yet you work for the system that failed you. Failed both of us."

"It failed you. No question. It failed me in some ways and saved me in others. They never found the people that killed my dad, and the investigation was so shoddy that I have next to nothing to work with when I find the time to look at the file. The system failed me there. That I went from foster home to foster homes…and a lot of that's on me. There were decent people, people who wanted to help me, but I didn't want their help or what to me was their empty platitudes. Swiftins…helped make a good man out of me, even if I was bullshitting the people in charge a lot of the time. And yeah, things don't always go the way I want it on the job…but they need all the help they can get."

"And you believe one person can make a difference."

"Bane…I've known you less than a month, and you're already fucking up my life in ways that haunt the back of my mind hourly. Yeah…I believe one person can make a difference."

A long, drawn out pause. "I don't know what to say to that."

"No problem, the food's going to get cold if we don't eat it now anyway."


	10. Keeping Warm

Keeping Warm

Enjoying the food, who wouldn't, Blake tried not to look too amused over the fact that Bane was still obviously trying to figure out how to respond to his earlier comment about the effect Bane had already had on his life. Which was A-okay with him, since he was still trying to figure out what to do about Bane, Blake acknowledged ruefully as he cut up more of his steak. Earlier, once it had sunk in that he'd agreed to have dinner with Bane, he'd thought of the teenager as a splinter in his own skin, Bane working his way under the flesh, and sure to be painful when he was removed. Now he was leaning more towards this huge boulder that had been dropped in his personal stream. Water, aka his normal life, was getting around Bane, but it sure as heck wasn't moving him, and everything was coming into contact with him whether he wanted it to or not.

And it was thoughts like that that made him wonder just how Bane saw him.

So what the hell, he asked him. "How do you see my presence in your life? A pebble in your shoe perhaps, or an itch you can't scratch? I mean I have to be annoying you at least a little. I piss people off even when I'm not trying to."

Bane was silent, though it was obvious he was thinking over what he was going to say as opposed to not intending to answer.

"A blinding sun. Sometimes you warm, other times you burn, but always you illuminate."

Blake could feel his ears going bright red, hot enough that he was tempted to cover both of them with his hands.

"That embarrasses you?"

"The ear blushing embarrasses me. What you said…is flattering. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Shaking his head over the whole thing Blake figured a change in topic was called for. "So are you a dog or cat person?"

Bane's face was puzzled as he asked why he was asking that.

"Well normally, about now, we'd be learning about each other's backgrounds, but we already know that because we've invaded each other's privacy…so…cat or dog?"

"I've never had a pet."

"I was at a few places that did, but I've never even had a goldfish, personally. I figure someday I might get a cat, but that's mostly because they're pretty independent and don't need a yard and attention the way a dog would. But if I did ever hook up with someone permanently, and we got a place with a yard, I'd go for the dog. More fun to play with."

Apparently deciding to go with their current theme Bane asked him what kind of dog he'd like to have.

"A big one, preferably, but I don't have a breed in mind. See what's in the pound and needs a new home is the game plan at the moment."

From there they discussed the most ordinary of things, including their favorite colors, foods, and seasons. Television shows and movies were mostly out because of Bane lack of knowledge about both, but that was only fair since Blake hadn't even heard of some of the books the teenager listed as personal favorites. Music was a crap shot too, but knowing Bane well enough Blake asked him what he thought of the Dent Act, and that got them through the majority of the meal as they picked it apart and argued the pros and cons back and forth. They actually agreed on a lot of points, which was nice too.

What was also nice was the way Bane loosened up as he argued, the teenager's face opening up and becoming more expressive, those beautiful eyes shining with intensity as he made his case with brilliant reasoning and an impressive understanding of the law. Of course part of that was the shirt, which made Bane's eyes stand out that much more, but either way Blake could admit, at least inside of his head, that he found Bane sexy as hell like this.

"You disagree?"

Blinking, Blake had to ask Bane to repeat the question before smiling somewhat sheepishly. "Sorry, I zoned out a little there. But no, I don't disagree on that point. I think we can both agree that the Dent Act as a whole, whatever good it's done and it has, does harm as well. Rather like its namesake, really."

"You were not a fan of Harvey Dent?"

"We all called him Two Face for a reason. Though we were sorta sorry about that once his face, you know, was actually two different faces. But yeah, you can see his fingerprints all over the act, with plenty of room for manipulation which was his thing. He liked twisting the law to suit him. Real justice wasn't the high priority it should always be with him."

"On that we can also agree."

Since they were sort of on the topic anyway Blake moved the conversation to some other controversial laws that had been put into action since Dent's death, giving each other food for thought so to speak as they finished their meal.

Once their plate were both empty Blake insisted on doing the dishes since whoever cooked didn't have to do the dishes as well in his books. They could continue their debating in the kitchen since Bane would have to tell him where stuff went anyway. Bane didn't like that idea, since Blake was a guest in his eyes, but after some more arguing it was decided that they'd do the dishes together with Blake washing and Bane drying and putting everything away.

It was nice.

)

They'd pretty much talked each other hoarse by the time Blake had to call an end to the evening, he had court in the morning, unfortunately, and he was going to be going head to head with an attorney who was known to be as skilled as Dent when it came to trapping people on the stand and putting words in their mouths. He seriously hated the guy and nothing made him happier than screwing the man over and making him look like an idiot instead of the other way around. To do that he had to be at the top of his game though, which meant getting some sleep and making time for some caffeine consumption in the morning before he was called to the stand.

"How much coffee do you drink?"

Laughing, he couldn't help it, Blake shook his head and didn't answer as he shrugged on his coat and retrieved his police revolver from the pocket so that he could return it to its previous resting place at the small of his back.

"You won't need that, I'll drive you home."

"Not necessary, but thanks for the offer. Really. Stay in and keep warm, the weather geeks were saying it's really supposed to drop tonight."

"Which is why I'm giving you a ride home."

Watching Bane put on his own coat, a hat and gloves, Blake opened his mouth to argue and then shut it again. It was going to be fucking cold outside, and he really hadn't been looking forward to the walk and then bus ride home. Plus he'd be the one looking like a kid if he insisted on freezing his ass off just so that he could tell himself they weren't doing what they were doing.

So giving in Blake followed Bane into the elevator and then around back of the building while the wind threatened to send them flying if they didn't turn into icicles first. Or send him flying, Blake acknowledged with a wry, cold smile, since Bane seemed to hardly notice the fact that Mother Nature was currently PMSing big time.

The all terrain vehicle was definitely a welcome sight when Bane unlocked the doors, the fact that the teenager actually went to the passenger side to open the door for him warming Blake up from the inside. Talk about adorable old school. What was he going to do with Bane, seriously?

What didn't he want to do with him at this point, Blake silently acknowledged, however perverted the thought made him feel.

And things were going to happen, especially if they kept having moments at this. And every meeting there were moments, things said or implied that stuck in his head and wouldn't get out. So he could either run and hope Bane got tired of pursuing, which would make him feel both cowardly and stupid, or face this like a man and accept the situation he found himself in and the consequences of the hand he'd been dealt.

Mulling over the facts Blake kept quiet as Bane got in beside him and started up the car, the silence relatively peaceful for the first couple city blocks while the snow fell lazily around them, the streets deserted enough to make the scenery almost pretty, as the darkness hid the worst of the neighborhood's decay.

"Do you have plans for this coming Saturday? In the afternoon, maybe?"

"Nothing set in stone." Bane glanced in his direction. "Why?"

"If you're interested, I've got the day off and I was planning to put aside a couple hours to work on polishing my video game skills. Next month we're having an old school video game tournament at Swiftins, and if they whoop my ass they'll never let me live it down. I wouldn't mind someone to play against, if you're interested."

"I don't know how to play."

"That does not surprise me." Not even a little, Blake silently added. "But we're talking N64 here, not the latest Playstation blood and gore fest. Since children everywhere once played Mario Kart 64, I'm pretty sure someone of your intelligence and hand-eye coordination can pick it up pretty quick. I'll even spring for Chinese for dinner depending on the timing."

"How often do you order what you call food in?"

"Bane, we are not getting into another discussion about my eating habits here. We've had our argument for the night, remember?"

Bane seemed to consider arguing about that, but wisely thought better of it. "Why are you inviting me to play with you? One would think that there are plenty of other people in your life who enjoy video games, and thus far you've been reluctant to spend time with me."

"Think of this as either third times a charm or three strikes and we're out."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning we've seen a movie together and had dinner at your place. If you come over this would be a sort of third date and if we can pull that off without too much fuss now that I've done everything possible to get it through your bald head how I feel about your sister and your gang activities…well then I'm willing to give real dating a shot until one of us breaks up with the other."

Quiet contemplation, Bane's fingers absently tapping at the steering wheel as he kept his eyes on the road. "You said you don't do relationships with expiry dates."

"Normally I don't, but I also don't date teenagers seven years my junior, either. And whatever this is between us, it needs to be settled, because I have a feeling it's not going to be ignored whether I like it or not."

"I'm hard to ignore."

Smiling over the arrogance he heard in Bane's voice Blake nodded and agreed that that was the case.

Coming up to a red light Bane came to a stop and then turned to look at him, though the man's eyes were unreadable in the darkness of the vehicle. "I'll come and play your game with you. And I'll look it up when I get back so that I know the rules."

"Yeah…it's Mario Kart…you hit other people's go karts with turtle shells and throw banana peels in front of them. There aren't really rules, per say."

"Turtle shells…and banana peels?"

"Ah, you have much to learn, my young padawan. Way, way back, a very long time ago when I was young, video games weren't terrifyingly realistic bloodbaths that demonstrated the industry's determination to see who could portray mass murder in the most inventive and disgusting ways. Once upon a time, they were actually appropriate for children."

And this being a topic he felt strongly about, he hated the latest video games with a passion, Blake quite happily ranted about the crap being produced all the way back to his apartment, Bane humoring him apparently since as they pulled up to his place Blake was jolted into the realization of just how long he'd been talking.

Ears flushing again, though thank God it was too dark for Bane to see, Blake found himself apologizing sheepishly for his rant.

"It was interesting."

"Sure it was." Shaking his head Blake undid his seat belt, moving from embarrassed to amused as he shifted in his seat with the intention of saying good night and then vacating the vehicle, something belatedly occurring to him. "You know…I don't even have your phone number. Just the one for your base of operations so to speak."

Pulling out his phone Blake accessed his contacts and typed in Bane's name, his gaze questioning when he was done, fingers posed to enter in the number.

Hesitation greeted that look, and then Bane gave it to him, Blake dutifully typing it in, sensing that he was one of the very few to have this number.

Once it was entered and saved Blake put it back in his pocket and then decided, what the hell, in for a penny, in for a pound as they said.

Leaning over he brushed his lips against Bane's in a friendly kiss and then pulled back, stating that Bane could text him when he knew what time worked for him, and then got out of the car before Bane got in another word.

)

With visions of the apartment he'd just left still etched into his mind as he entered his own building, Blake took the stairs to the second floor of the building, knocking gently on door twenty-three when he arrived in front of it, then a little louder since he could hear the television through her door. The woman loved her action movies, and with her hearing starting to go Rosie tended to turn the volume up higher than a lot of her neighbors would prefer.

The sounds of locks being undone reached his ears, and then the door was opening, Rosie's smile as bright as the happy face pajamas she was currently wearing.

"Hello, John. One of them call you to come tell me to turn down the TV again because they haven't got to guts to?"

"Not that I know of, but their messages might be waiting on my answering machine."

Laughing, Rosie agreed that that was possible and then asked him in.

"Thanks. I just need a minute or two to ask you a question."

"Smart boy, coming to me for advice. Advice about…?"

"I was wondering how your quilting production is at the moment." Rosie was retired, and had taken up quilting for something to do and extra pocket money. How many she made in a month depended on her arthritis, and what was on television that month that was worth watching.

"Why? The one I gave you for Christmas not warm enough? Cause if it isn't then there's something wrong with your heaters and you need to get on the super's ass about it. Flash that badge in front of his face and that'll get him hopping."

Knowing the pride she took in her work Blake assured her that the quilt she'd given him was keeping him toasty warm every night. He was asking because he was interested in getting her to make one for a friend of his who was not only in desperate need of some color in his place, but could do with something warmer to sleep under then the thin blankets he'd seen on Bane's bed.

"What size quilt?"

"King, he's huge."

That had Rosie giving him a knowing look. "Friend or boyfriend, John?"

Squirming under that look, especially since people kept making statements along that line, Blake sighed. "The former with the possibility of the latter, since he's wearing me down despite being a nineteen year old hoodlum."

Amusement written all over her life worn face, Rosie nodded knowingly, stated that she knew the appeal of bad boys well, and then told him to follow her.

"I might have just the thing for him, actually. Had a woman order a king from me a couple months ago, a gift for her son's birthday. Anyways, she calls me up just before I can finish the thing to cancel the order, turns out she got wind the son and her other two kids are planning on putting her in a home and she's pissed at all of them. She paid for it, and I finished it to sell later, but if you think your 'friend' would like it you can have that one."

When they arrived in the room Rosie stored her quilting stuff in Blake helped her retrieved the rolled up quilt from a shelf and then untied the string holding it in place, each of them taking an end as they held it up so that he could get a good look at it.

"It's perfect. How much do you want for it?" The top was made out of recycled jeans cut onto squares, the various shades of blue manly enough not to offended Bane's macho persona, while the bottom was a thick, slightly fuzzy material in a golden shade that reminded Blake of honey. The quilt certainly had weight to it, and since his was identical except for the fact that his bottom was red, he knew how warm it would be.

"I'd tell you you can just have it, but you have too much pride for that. We'll say thirty, no arguing."

Having seen her website Blake knew she should be charging him at least a couple hundred, probably more even if the quilt had been meant for someone else who'd already paid…but he also knew not to argue when she had that look in her eye. It was probably the same look he got in his eyes got when she tried to pay him for fixing her computer or taking her quilts to the post office for mailing because the boxes tended to be too much for her to handle.

Bending down he gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Rosie. You're the best."


	11. Let's Play

Let's Play

Partly out of natural competitiveness, and a desire not to fail in front of his cop, Bane was determined to understand this game he was going to be playing with Blake on the weekend, especially once they had the details nailed down so to speak about when they'd be meeting up. Thankfully one of his men had complained more than once about his little brother, who was old enough to join them but was apparently too obsessed with video games to be interested in anything else, so it was a simple enough matter to arrange to meet said brother for some lessons, especially since he was willing to pay for them.

The kid, Luis, was about fourteen and immediately struck Bane as a great deal smarter than his older brother. There was knowledge in his eyes, both street and in general, obviously wary of him but wanting the money badly enough to put up with him for a couple hours. The boy's bedroom was small and decorated with gaming posters, a variety of consoles, systems, and games stacked neatly off to the side beside a very old television the kid must have scavenged somewhere, as it looked to be the boy's age or older.

"So you just want to learn Mario Kart64, right?" When Bane nodded Luis gave him a considering look out of those thoughtful brown eyes, still sizing him up for the moment. "Well it's not hard, unless you're a complete idiot, so if you want I'll show you how to play Smash Brothers too. That's Blake's second favorite game."

"And what do you know about Blake?"

Either the kid missed Bane's cool tone or was too busy setting up now to care as he rapped the television a couple times to get it the images on the screen to go back to color. "Word on the street is you and he are maybe bumping hips these days. My friend Adam's been at St. Swiftins for almost two years now, since his whore of a mother ran off on him, and those priests like to trot your man out like a prize horse or something, to show street kids how they can turn their lives around and shit. I've met him a couple times, anyway, and he's okay. Not preachy or anything, and he plays a decent game. Word is Father Riley is having kittens over the idea of you two hooking up." The kid grinned at him conspiratorially over that.

Taking a seat on the floor beside the kid Bane studied him, asking him if his friend and the other boys at the home were giving Blake a hard time over him, not liking the idea that his man might be receiving backlash from them too.

"Nah. Adam said he hasn't been by since word got out, but most of the guys figure it makes sense, you being his type and all. I mean some say the usual shit about him cause he's gay and a cop, but Adam and I think he's a good guy. Here's your controller."

Taking the weird, three pronged device, Bane studied it for a moment and then turned his attention to Luis as the boy pointed to each of the buttons in turn, explaining their purpose and how to use them in the game they were about to play.

Then it was time for them to pick their character, Luis informing him that he could have anyone but Yoshi. Apparently Yoshi was Blake's character of choice. "If you want the bad guy that's Koopa." The boy added with a smirk, pointing that character out too.

"You're not afraid of me." Either that or the kid had the best poker face he'd ever seen. Luis was aware of the possible threat he posed, but wasn't truly scared of him.

Luis didn't lose his smirk, shrugging his bony shoulders in typical teen fashion. "The mask is pretty fucked up, I'll give you that, but Blake wouldn't fuck you if you're the type to hurt kids. Kids are one of his weak spots. He's always sneaking Adam and the other guys candy and junk food cause the priests are so strict about it. Anyways, he thinks you're alright, so you must not be as bad as people make you out to be. Besides, this neighborhood's way better with you around, and that idiot brother of mine isn't here much anymore cause he's always with you guys, which suits me just fine."

"You two don't get along?"

Snort. "Rick thinks it's stupid, that I go to school and try and shit. That I wanna be more than a loser gang banger who's nothing but muscle like him. Me and Adam, we're gonna design vid games when we get older and graduate and shit. Mr. Wayne, of Wayne Enterprises, he sponsors Swiftins, ya know? There's a standing order that we can apply to work for him, get special consideration and all. Blake says he'll help us too, he likes our ideas and stuff. He hates the kinda games Rick likes. You don't wanna get him started on the 'Grand Theft Auto' franchise."

"I've heard his opinions on those games."

"Yeah, they're pretty stupid. But then the kids that play them, most of them, they don't know fuck about drive-by shootings and real fucking violence." That he did was clear in the boy's voice before he shrugged that off too. "So we playing or what?"

"Let's play."

)

When the day of their date came Bane was fairly confident that he would be able to give Blake a run for his money so to speak. He hadn't fared so well against Luis, true, but according to the kid Blake was no real match for him or Adam either. He'd done better in Smash Brothers, so if that game was played as well Bane was fairly sure he could beat Blake at it. The video games were both surprisingly fun, he'd enjoyed his time with the boy and had actually been invited back to play sometime for free.

Getting into Blake's apartment was annoyingly easy, the man needed to get into a building with better security, Bane made his way to the stairs and took them up to Blake's level, approving of the fact that the place was at least clean and kept in good condition. But again, the security sucked and good cops were not the most popular people in Gotham.

Arriving at the correct door, he could hear music he didn't recognize but didn't automatically dislike through the thin wood, Bane lifted a hand to knock.

He didn't have long to wait, the sound of locks being undone something Bane could approve of, and then there was Blake standing in the doorway with a welcoming grin on his oddly sexy and yet cute face, the bright green shirt the older man was wearing featuring a picture of the cartoon dinosaur named Yoshi Luis had told him about.

And just that quickly, a mere finger snap, Bane forgot everything but how much he wanted Blake.

Moving in Bane jerked Blake up against his chest with one hand, the other diving into the other man's hair so that he could position Blake's lips right where he wanted them so that he could press his own against them in a kiss that made it very clear just how much he'd been wanting to do that since that teasing little kiss Blake had given him in the car far too long ago.

After a moment of stiff surprise Blake relaxed into it, letting Bane have what he wanted which just made Bane that much more determined to take more, to appreciate the tastes that were so uniquely Blake's and reveal in the fact that they could both take such pleasure from the meeting of their mouths and tongues.

Bane actually wanted to whine when Blake ended the kiss, though the teasing bite his bottom lip received before the other man pulled away was a small consolation prize.

As was the sight of Blake licking his lips before inquiring as to whether or not he'd be correct in assuming that Bane had missed him.

"Yes."

Looking both surprised and delighted, damn but he had a thing for the cop's dimples, Bane was pleased to have made Blake happy as he was told to follow him after he finished locking up. Doing precisely that and enjoying the sight of Blake's jean covered ass when it was in view Bane eyes widened a little when he looked away from Blake's ass and saw that there were two beanbag chairs situated in front of the large television. He'd always wanted a beanbag chair when he was a kid. Not that he'd ever owned one of course, by the time he could have gotten one for himself he was too old for such things…but still…there were two…

Having gone over to shut off the music he'd been playing Blake looked over him shoulder at him in amusement. "Don't worry, it will hold you."

"What?"

"The bigger beanbag chair, it will hold you no problem. Or you can sit on the floor if you really want."

Trying not to sound like the kid Blake often told him he was, Bane stated that he would sit in the chair. And doing precisely that Bane had to work hard not to smile at how neat it really was, feeling the beans inside the chair shifting and molding to his form so that it was shaped exactly for him. "I didn't see these the last time I was here."

"I generally don't leave them out unless I'm going to use them." Blake explained as he took a seat beside him on the smaller bean bag chair. "So ready for your gaming tutorial?"

"I know how to play. There's no need."

"Huh. I just won a twenty dollar bet with myself. Excellent."

Confused, Bane asked him how he could have a bet with himself, and more, what the bet had been about.

"If I win a bet with myself I put money in my vacation jar, and if I lose I have to put it in my retirement fund instead. And the bet was that you would admit that Luis had taught you how to play the game rather than play dumb and let me think you were just awesome at the game when we got started."

Bane only had to think about it for a moment. "Luis told Adam, and he told you."

"Very good. The Swiftins boys all have my number, in case they get into trouble and need me to come get them. Or sometimes they just want to talk…or tease me about something, like you." The tone of his voice made it clear Blake had received more than a few calls and texts concerning Bane and their possible relationship recently.

"They don't like the idea of you dating me."

"Actually, most of them seem to find the idea rather sick, apparently. They're enjoying the way the adults in their lives are freaking out over the idea."

"Which is a black mark where I'm concerned."

Blake gave him a smile. "You've got some check marks too."

When Blake leaned over Bane was expecting a kiss on the cheek, not nearly enough as far as he was concerned but still physical contact, so he was both surprised and ridiculously aroused when Blake placed a quick kiss against his neck before aiming higher to teasingly nip the bottom of his ear before pulling back.

"It was sweet, you getting him to teach you. Definitely worth brownie points."

He hadn't been aiming to get brownie points, but he was all for them if it got him nibbled on.

Accepting the controller he was given, blue this time instead of the black Luis had had, Bane studied the layout to make sure the two were otherwise identical and then turned his attention back to Blake, who had a bright green controller that looked see through. "You like that green dinosaur quite a lot, don't you?"

"Yoshi's my man." Was Blake's teasing response, giving him a gently elbow jab for emphasis. "Or dinosaur, to be more accurate. Anyone who knows me knows I play as him whenever he's in a game. Same with me always doing my best to get all the railroads when it comes to 'Monopoly'. It's what I do."

"I know how to play 'Monopoly'."

"Really?" The word was purred out. "Well I'll have to keep that in mind."

Pleased, that particular board game could go on for hours after all, Bane forced himself to turn his attention back to the television, smiling as Blake selected Yoshi for his character, picking Bowser, otherwise known as King Koopa, as his own character.

"Any favorite course?" Blake asked.

"You can choose."

"Alright then."

)

Bane had debated with himself about whether or not he should let Blake win depending on the other man's skill level. Personally he would rather lose than be handed a victory, but he wasn't sure about Blake view on such things. In his experience some people could be fairly calm and laid back until their competitive natures were engaged, so there was always the chance that his cop was one of those people. In the end he'd decided to play things straight, and after a couple of hours of playing came to the conclusion that Blake was indeed just like him when it came to competitions of any sort. They both loved to win, gave it their all, and would punch anyone out who took pity on them because only the pathetic or young children deserved such treatment.

In the end Bane won by two games, offering to play more to give Blake another chance to win, which he just waved off after he'd finished muttering under his breath about how this would never have happened if Bane hadn't learned from a master like Luis, who knew all the tricks.

Finding the mini sulk more than a little adorable Bane didn't argue, content to set his controller off to the side and enjoy the view so to speak.

Of course as soon as Blake realized Bane was staring he stopped making his adorable faces, studying him in turn with a considering look on his face, which slowly became a grin that had heat flaring in Bane's gut, his body recognizing that expression even if his mind couldn't quite put a label on it.

"Well since I lost, I think I'll claim my consolation prize now."

And saying so Blake got out of his beanbag chair and took the short step and turn necessary to get in position to take a seat straddling Bane's lap as he leaned in for a kiss Bane was more than happy to give him.

It was like before, only this time Blake obviously wanted control and while Bane would have liked to have returned the favor of allowing it, the way the other man had let him have his way before…teenage hormones were a powerful thing, especially when someone was licking their way into your mouth. And while he was more than happy to part his lips to allow that, Bane couldn't prevent his own from joining in the fun while his hands slid under the hem of Blake's shirt, moving them greedily over the available expansion of warm skin there. The sounds Blake was making were mostly muffled, as were his own, but Bane took the eager way Blake was pressing himself against him to be all the encouragement he needed to keep doing what he was doing.

A beanbag chair wasn't exactly the most ideal thing to make out in though, and when Blake surged forward in surprise when Bane's hands grabbed his ass the two ended up tumbling over the side, rolling twice before ending up exactly the way they wanted, with Bane on top and Blake on the bottom, chest to chest, hip to hip with Blake's thighs falling further apart to help them fit together that much better.

And it was while they were kissing each other, without a thought that didn't have to do with the other, that Blake arched up to try to dominate the kiss more, resulting in them both becoming very aware of the fact that they were both extremely hard in their pants.

The physical proof of how much Blake wanted him had Bane lifting his head a moment to gaze down at his deliciously rumpled cop, who looked up at him with dilated eyes and sporting red, kiss swollen lips. He couldn't help but smile triumphantly at the sight.

"Well don't you look pleased with yourself."

Loving the sexy rasp of Blake's voice Bane nodded, not about to deny it.

Chuckling Blake reached up to bring Bane's head back down to take up where they'd left off, Bane going along with that idea wholeheartedly as his mind was quickly blown away as the kissing quickly turned into something else entirely as Blake very deliberately shifted to slot their erections beside each other's and started thrusting up against him.

Picking up the rhythm very quickly as he got his knees up and into position for optimum return, Bane growled low in his throat as his ass was grabbed this time, Blake's fingers digging in and kneading as they both gave up kissing and concentrated solely on rubbing off on each other.

Bane had never done this before, he wouldn't have believed it could feel so good to simply grind his body against Blake's, especially with their clothes still on. But he was quickly losing control due to sensory overload, losing both the rhythm he was trying to keep and very aware that his orgasm was approaching with a speed and strength that had him shaking all over while he pretty much failed to rein in his own body.

It was Blake's sudden and unexpected hips swivel that finally did Bane in, his determination to hold off on his climax going completely out the window. All he could do was cling and bury his face against the side of Blake's neck as he came, only vaguely aware of the fact that other man was still moving against his body at an even more frantic pace before suddenly going very still, Bane hearing his name being called before Blake went limp beneath him.

Game Over, so to speak.


	12. A Bit of A Tease

A Bit of A Tease

When he'd thought about how this 'date' of theirs was going to go Blake certainly hadn't envisioned that they would end up basically humping each other after the video games. Not that he hadn't imagined various ways that they could get each other off, many of them possibly and probably illegal in some states, but he'd chalked those up as possibly happening later since he'd thought, apparently prematurely, that he would be able to keep his goddamn hands to himself. Or at least not do more than thoroughly round second base.

But yeah…here they were.

Glancing over at Bane, Blake had to smile a little over the fact that the teenager was currently wearing borrowed and very stretched sweatpants while his original jeans were finishing drying after being hastily washed and then visited by the hair dryer along with Blake's. He'd assigned Bane the task of keeping an eye on the hamburger meat browning on the stove while he put out the various vegetables and toppings he'd put together for the fajitas they were having for dinner. He'd figured to earn some brownie points, as well as skip a potential lecture, by putting together one of the few healthy things he could make together.

Well…healthy depending on what you put on your fajita.

"A couple more minutes and the meat will be ready."

Coming over to see for himself, not that he doubted Bane's ability to judge the hamburger's readiness, Blake stood by the teenager's side, feeling Bane's eyes all but bore into the side of his head. Which naturally made him turn his head in that direction, to find out why he was being stared at so intently, and thus the reason Bane had been staring became obvious when Bane swooped in to kiss him.

Hands automatically going to Bane's shoulders, God but he loved how big and bulky with muscle they were, Blake rhythmically clenched down on them as he couldn't help but rub up against Bane's beautiful body like a cat demanding attention while he returned the kiss with embarrassing eagerness.

Only when Bane's hands moved down to his ass did Blake remember that he was supposed to be the responsible adult here, which really, really sucked ordinarily, much less when he was presented with someone so willing to do very bad, very hot things with him that would lead to even better orgasms.

So with great reluctance Blake lifted his head, taking mean pleasure in the sound of disappointment Bane made, though he also approved of the fact that Bane didn't make a move to push him to continue the kissing.

"As much as I love and have plans for your mouth, it's time to use it for eating."

Cocking his head slightly to the side, Bane commented that he'd said something like that before. Just what plans did Blake have for his mouth?

Blake opened and then closed his mouth, his ears going red at the tips as he had a little mental battle with himself before acknowledging the truth. "Yeah…talking dirty to you without feeling like a complete perv is going to take some doing. Let's just say your mouth is a serious check mark in the reasons to date you and leave it at that for now."

Turning off the stove's burner Bane motioned for Blake to move, which he did, so that he could transfer the contents of the pan into the bowl Blake had set out for that purpose before speaking.

"I grew up on the streets. There's very little you could say or suggest that I haven't heard before."

"Yeah, well unless the streets are a lot different then I remember, sex between men was only really discussed in public as an insult against another guy's manhood, or as a business transaction between a male hooker and a perspective john. And don't make a joke about my name or I'll have to hit you with this spoon." Blake brandished it for emphasis before sticking it into the bowl and then taking it over to the table. "Now do you know how to make one of these things, Mr. Tofu?"

The twitch he occasionally caused under Bane's eyes made an appearance. "Must you persist with the annoying nicknames?"

"Oh, Poor Baby, do you feel like I'm questioning your manhood again?" Blake deliberately fluttered his lashes. "Because I'm willing to give written testament to the fact that it's definitely there and working just fine." The 'fine' was purred out just to be mean.

Enjoying the dark look aimed in his direction, Blake opted not to push any further for now and instead quickly went about constructing two fajitas for himself before sitting down in his chair with his plate and a glass of lemonade instead of his usual coke. He'd drink that later when Bane wasn't around to lecture him on just how bad the stuff was for him. He got enough of that from his dentist.

As he watched Bane put together his own food it didn't surprise Blake at all that he went heavy on the veggies and light on the meat and mayo, but Bane did surprise him when he brought his plate over with the wraps unwrapped, and asked him to remedy that.

"Sure."

"Thank you."

Once that was taken care of they both turned their attention to trying their dinner, which was fucking awesome if Blake did say so himself. Which he didn't since his mouth was full, but he thought it really loudly.

"It's very good. And much better for you than pizza."

Lips twitching, how could they not, Blake agreed that that was true.

"So when you were in the home, did you hide your sexuality?"

Now he had to laugh. "I was in the glee club and did gymnastics in high school. I was assumed gay for that alone. I didn't advertise, but I didn't deny it when people threw that particular definition in my face."

A long pause. "You were in the glee club?"

Shrug. "I wanted to be seen as harmless and rule abiding, and my social worker at the time loved the idea. She really bought into the idea of music soothing the savage beast, that kind of thing. And hey, I could carry a tune, which was the main thing."

"And the gymnastics?"

"That I did because I loved it. I actually come from a long line of aerial acrobats."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously." And since it was something he was proud of, Blake settled in to tell Bane all about the famous 'Flying Graysons', who'd once performed all over the world to audiences of thousands. Ironically it was the recordings of their last performances that he'd managed to find later in life that provided him with all the video footage he had of his mother. They'd been pretty amazing, and he'd thought as a kid he'd follow in his mother's footsteps someday.

"But you didn't."

"Nope, which is probably for the best in the long run. I mean between the animal rights activists and the fact that most people are glued to one kind of a screen or another these days, that kind of entertainment isn't what you'd call popular unless you're Cirque de Soleil. And the costumes generally suck, it has to be said. The whole cop's uniform thing is way hotter." Blake grinned as he added that it was a time honored tradition for men to look ten times hotter in a uniform.

Bane's voice was dry as he pointed out that he didn't enjoy the sight of a cop uniform.

"Well there goes all the fun we could have had playing 'Cop and Very Sexy Bad Guy'."

When Bane just stared at him Blake had to laugh, the teenager's rather shocked expression priceless because really, with most anyone else, that would have been one of the first things that came to the mind upon entering a romantic relationship with a cop. Frankly he'd lost track of the number of times he'd interviewed someone who'd propositioned him because of how he looked in his uniform, a number of them asking to see his cuffs while doing the hitting on.

But Bane was most definitely not like most people, so Blake amused himself by patting the teenager's hand comfortingly. "There, there, Baby. I'm not planning to handcuff you. Those things hurt like a bitch."

Steel blue eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You're just trying to get a reaction out of me."

"Maybe I am." Pause. "And maybe I'm not. Want to find out?"

Blake could see a number of comebacks forming, but Bane opted to turn his attention back to his food. Which was probably for the best, he decided, since he was trying to prevent them from ending up naked in his bed before the night was over.

)

The fact that Bane had decided to concentrate on his food rather than talk about sex, something the average male loved to think and talk about when the possibility of having it shortly was there, had Blake's mind working hard while they talked about their week and made light, general conversation. Now it could be that the direction their conversation had taken had just reminded his adorable juvenile delinquent that he was a cop, the fact that Bane was a criminal had certainly given him some bad moments, but Blake didn't think that was it. In fact the more he thought about it the more convinced he became that the most likely reason why Bane had backed off was because Bane just didn't have the experience to talk the talk so to speak.

Bane had outright admitted he'd only been with two girls, and given the kid's belief as to their motivations for sleeping with him, that it hadn't had a hell of a lot to do with the fact that Bane was sexy, built and very well endowed…well that meant something.

First of all was the fact that that was definitely something that could damage the hell out of a guy's ego, whether he knew it or not, and yet Bane had pursued him and obviously wanted sex. That meant either the kid's ego really was bulletproof or Bane had recognized that the attraction and desire was mutual between them and therefore wanted to pursue him, but didn't really know what to do with him if he caught him. Some idea, yes, the general act of dick meets ass was pretty understand in most circles, but the finer details…probably not so much. You didn't even want to get him started on the way television shows and movies often glossed over certain, important aspects of how sex actually worked between two men. Which admittedly made sense unless the movies were porn, but still…

But the important part of this mental conversation he was having with himself was the fact that while he'd known that he would be Bane's first man, he'd failed to realize, and take into account, the fact that the teenager quite possibly had a lot of missing chapters in his 'How A Sexual Relationship Works in General' book.

Huh.

Asking Bane outright just what he and these girls had gotten up to when he'd been with them would rude, even though the teenager was blunt enough to probably tell him, but actually-he sorta wanted to find out for himself.

Blake wasn't aware that he was leering evilly at Bane until the teenager pointed it out to him.

Shifting his expression into fairly neutral lines, Blake apologized for that fact.

"What were you thinking about?"

"You."

"What about me?"

"I'll tell you after dinner."

"Why after dinner?"

Rather than answer Blake took a big bite of his fajita and then, once he'd swallowed and taken a sip from his glass, advise Bane that if he wanted the answers to his questions he should finish his dinner.

It was obvious from the piercing looks he was getting, Bane trying and apparently failing to get into his head which delighted him quite a bit, Blake simply smiled and then changed the subject to something he was interested in talking about, even if it didn't hold a candle to what they'd be 'talking' about later should they get to that.

"So what did Talia say when she found out you wanted to date me? I mean I know she doesn't like me, but I'm curious as to how pissed off she was. If you told her that is."

"She hopes I'll be as big a pain in your ass physically as you are in hers metaphorically."

Laughing hard, oh that was just perfect, Blake shook his head and grinned over the mental images those words had evoked. He had to give the bitch credit, that was one hell of a good response to the situation they all found themselves in. Plus he approved of the fact that she knew about them, since that meant she'd think she had him through Bane. She didn't, but he was just fine with her thinking that. Less chance of her seeing him coming for her this way.

"Why do you find that so funny?"

"Mostly…I'm just enjoying the fact that she's going to have to imagine us having sex while she's in juvie. And man is that going to chap her ass."

The look on Bane's face made it very clear that he wasn't enjoying that idea nearly so much, which perversely just made it that much better in Blake's books.

Very little was said for the remainder of the meal.

)

Once they were done eating and had everything put away in the fridge or in the sink to be dealt with later, Bane hadn't argued that it could wait, Blake motioned for the teenager to follow him into the living room so that they could pick up where their previous conversation had left off. Pointing towards the couch Blake waited until Bane had taken the seat before moving in to take a seat himself. On Bane's lap, Blake straddling him again with a happy little wiggle in to tease them both before he leaned in to seal their lips together for a long, drawn out kiss that Bane ended.

"You said you'd tell me what you were thinking before."

Running his fingertips over the smooth surface of Bane's head, it really was too bad he didn't have at least a little hair for his to play with, Blake made a sound of agreement just to tease a little bit more, drawing the whole thing out for his amusement.

"Blake."

Still grinning Blake nipped at Bane's plush bottom lip, God how he loved these lips, and then gave in since the fun really couldn't start again until he explained.

"I said before that your lack of experience was a bad thing, but I'm starting to revise that opinion." Blake kept up the stroking Bane was leaning into it, encouraging him to continue. "I think teaching you all there is for you learn could be…very enjoyable for the both of us."

A thoughtful pause. "So you're agreeing to date me? No Scott?"

"Yes, I'm agreeing to go out with you, and yes, if we're still together the next time he asks me out my answer will be no. As it will be to any guy who asks me out while we're dating. Though for the record I stand behind the fact that I know dating Scott again would be a bad idea."

"You let him kiss you, touch you."

"That's true, I did. I should make that up to you." Dropping his hands down to encircle Bane's wrists, Blake gave them a light tug for emphasis. "Put your palms flat on the cushions and keep them there. You lift them up, I stop making all that up to you. Understand?"

Watching Bane swallow hard before nodding and doing as ordered…well it almost made Blake forget the plan he'd been forming in his head earlier. Almost.

"Your reward, and first lesson, is all the ways I like to be kissed."

And leaning in Blake proceeded to do precisely that. He showed Bane exactly what he liked and how he liked it, demonstrating the most playful of kisses and the sort that went straight to the groin and had Bane's hips moving upward to get more friction while he kept his hands to himself as per orders. Tongue and teeth, and kisses that seemed to go on and on with the only goal being a thorough tasting of each other's mouths. Kisses meant to tease and torment, and then soothe and comfort so that Blake just had to wrap his arms around Bane's neck while Bane's hands fisted at his side to keep him from doing the same.

Well aware of that fact Blake took sorta pity so to speak, he wanted Bane's hands on him after all, and breaking off the kiss for a moment reached down to bring those hands up to pressed them against his sides. "Hands stay above the waist."

Obviously very happy to do precisely that Blake waited until Bane's fingers were under his shirt and splayed over his skin before he leaned in to continue where he'd left off, deliberately starting back from the beginning so that by the time he raised his head for the final time he had the pleasure of seeing very swollen red lips paired with eyes that were so dazed and out of it Blake was pretty sure he could tell the man to walk off the side of a cliff like a lemming and he'd do it.

But since that wasn't in the ever growing list of plans he had for Bane, not to mention an untimely death would negate the chance of doing all the other fun stuff he had planned, Blake just smiled as he got off Bane's lap to stand on mostly steady feet. What he wanted to do was drag Bane onto the floor and have his wicked way with him for the rest of the night and vice versa, but again, that didn't work with the plan.

So instead he held out a hand to Bane and using it kept their fingers laced together as they walked out of the room and into the bathroom where Bane's original pants were ready to be used again. And in short order he had Bane dressed in his original jeans and out of the room, Blake herding Bane back to the main hallway where he made sure Bane was properly bundled up for the weather before handing the teenager the large garbage bag he'd put the blanket in.

"Open this when you get home. I was going to mail it to you, but I figured whoever delivers the mail in your neighborhood would appreciate me doing it this way instead."

"What is it?"

"Get home safely and find out."


	13. Think of Me

Think Of Me

Bane left Blake's apartment in a daze and remained that way all the way down the stairs, down the main hallway, out the door, and all the way to his car, which he'd had to park a block away. Moving completely on autopilot Bane unlocked the car, got in, put on his seatbelt, and then started the car, the entire drive back to his neighborhood pretty much a blur so that when he found himself pulling into his parking place behind his building Bane blinked several times, finally self-aware enough to ponder the question of just how he'd come to leave Blake's place in the first place.

No answers were forthcoming, which disturbed him on a basic level, but when Bane got out of the car to do a walk around he saw nothing that would indicate he'd hit anything on the way back which was a good sign. That would definitely have put a damper on the evening, if for no other reason than there couldn't be a repeat of earlier if he was in jail for hitting someone or something.

Cops tended to frown on that sort of thing, his in particular no doubt.

That thought reminded him of his present in the front passenger seat, he couldn't believe he'd almost forgotten it, Bane hurried over to retrieve it, aware for the first time that whatever was in the bag was squishy. Clothes perhaps? But why would Blake give him clothes? Not to mention the fact that logic dictated that if the other man had had clothes that would fit Bane properly Blake would have given them to him earlier rather than loan him sweatpants that were now on the stretched side.

Mind going to the reason why he'd needed to borrow those sweat pants in the first place, Bane was unaware of the fact that he was grinning like an idiot until he'd stepped inside the building to find Barsad waiting for him, the other teenager's eyebrows shooting straight up on sight.

"Well hell. The sex was that good?"

"What?"

"You should see the look on your face." Shaking his head Barsad grimaced a little, doing his best to block the very unwanted mental images. "No need to ask what you two got up to, it's written all over your face."

"We didn't have sex." Technically, anyway. And he was hoping to change that fact in the near future. The very near future. Like tomorrow, preferably. Shortly after midnight would be good.

"Right." Sounding like he didn't believe that for a moment Barsad gave him a skeptical look before jerking his chin in the direction of the bag Bane was holding in his arms. "So what's in the bag?"

Setting it down on the hardwood floor Bane explained that he'd been told not to look until he got home, going to work on the knot that tied the bag up. Succeeding he opened it wide, picking up the piece of paper that was resting on top of whatever he'd been given, the message scrawled across the computer paper simple and to the point.

'This should keep you warm when I can't. JB'

Shaking his head over the officer's determination not to go by his actual first name, He much preferred Robin to John, Bane refolded the paper and stuck the message in his back pocket before reaching in again to pull out whatever was supposed to keep him-oh.

Ordinarily he would have been confused by what he was looking at, but he'd been in Blake's room earlier that evening when he'd gotten changed, and had seen something very similar on the man's bed. Undoing the strings that were keeping the bundle together, Bane shook it out as soon as he could, his eyes widening as he took in what he was holding, the idea of it only then sinking in.

"Wow."

Understanding Barsad's sentiment well Bane stared at the weighty, obviously handmade quilt he held in his hands, the top just like Blake's but the bottom half a beautiful golden brown color instead of the red he'd glimpsed on Blake's. He could tell that it would keep him warm, which was a definite plus, but it was the fact that Blake had given him this, without any reason to, that bowled him over and had him stroking it with a reverent hand.

"There's something else in the bag, I heard a thump when you dropped it."

A little embarrassed that he'd failed to notice that, Bane's mind turned to the fact that it was also only just now occurring to him that he could have been given something harmful, bringing it into the dojo without a thought. His trust in Blake was already so engrained that he hadn't even thought to question why he'd been told that he couldn't open it right away. Of course his brain had also been fried by all the kissing that they'd done, which had certainly contributed to this grave oversight on his part, but that was no excuse. Bane couldn't believe he'd been so stupid.

He actually flushed when he finally noticed that Barsad was holding the bag out to him, having no idea how long his friend had been doing so.

Taking it once he'd somewhat reluctantly given Barsad his quilt to hold on to, Bane felt around inside the bag, his fingers brushing over what he recognized immediately as a book. Huh, that was strange. Blake had said before that he had little time to read these days, and their tastes in literature were vastly different as well. Maybe Blake was loaning him one that he thought he'd like regardless?

Pulling it out Bane automatically flipped it over so that the cover was facing him, or would have been if not for the sticky note that had been stuck there stating that the book's purpose was to educate him properly so that he didn't depend on the garbage found on the internet for information.

It was an instruction guide about gay sex.

Shoving the book back into the bag lightning quick Bane pointedly didn't look at Barsad as he asked for the blanket back.

"I'm not going to ask." Barsad handed the quilt back over.

"That would be for the best."

"Before you run off with your presents, there was a reason I was waiting for you. Word just got out that Dante Quinto's brother is getting out of jail end of this week. Odds are he'll be wanting control of the Bloods again, and revenge for the now very public ass kicking we gave them. "

Tony Quinto was a great deal smarter, meaner, and more cunning than his younger brother. The Bloods had been his until two years ago when he'd gone to jail for beating the hell out of a rival gang leader. And yes, the elder Quinto was not the type to let recent events go.

Prison would not have mellowed the man a bit.

"Then we must be prepared to welcome him home."

"I'll start making preparation then. We'll discuss them in the morning." When Bane nodded in agreement Barsad said a short goodbye and then disappeared from sight within moments, like he'd never been there. A handy trick that was one of the many reasons the other teenager was so valuable to him.

Continuing on his way up to his rooms Bane's thoughts shifted from how they would deal with the older Quinto to how Blake would feel about how they would be dealing with the former gang leader. Even if they took the bastard down quietly the fact that the man was missing would get back to the police and ultimately to Blake. He already knew, after all, that Blake knew at least one of the cops that patrolled this area on a regular basis. And his cop was too smart not to put two and two together, and even though he was sure he could lie to the man's face without flinching…he didn't want to. He didn't want lies between them, or Blake interrogating him like they were on opposing sides. But this was his territory and his people, he had a duty to them above and beyond the fact that he wouldn't be seen as weak by his enemies. If anything he had to look stronger now that he'd hooked up with Blake, even more in control of himself and this territory.

He had to appear utterly ruthless and unforgiving now, he couldn't have people thinking that he was-

The stupid bag kept bumping against his side like it wanted to remind him of the book inside it and what that book would be educating him about once he gave it his full attention. What he would be able to do with Blake in the future provided that they were still together and-

Cursing under his breath Bane resolutely stepped out of the elevator and made his way to the bedroom, setting the bag with the book on his bedside table before turning his attention to the quilt still slung over one shoulder. Carefully billowing it out Bane placed it over his own sheets, unable not to smile at how it looked and the fact that it was a tangible reminder of his cop.

Pulling back the blankets Bane got into his bed and pulled them back up, just to get a feel for the difference the quilt would make. And if he pulled the quilt up to his nose to catch the faint scent he associated with Blake's place…well there was no one to see him.

No one had ever given him a homemade present before. Not that he thought Blake had made this himself of course, but this was so much more than just popping into the nearest outlet and picking up something. And it matched Blake's, which was the best part about it aside from getting it in the first place.

Mentally listening to himself Bane grimaced, unable to believe the thoughts currently running through his head. What the hell? This was not him. These were not thoughts Bane had. He was Gotham's menace, the biggest threat it had ever faced since Talia's father. Talia was the only one he occasionally showed his softer side to and that was because she needed him to. Getting soft over a cop though, that was a good way to ruin his life fast no matter how sexy and adorable and handsome that cop was.

The fact that Blake had warned him going in that getting involved would affect both their reps and not for the better poked at him too, annoying him because apparently he hadn't considered things as deeply as he should have. And if he backed out now he really would seem like the kid Blake had constantly accused him of being when they'd first met. Blake hadn't called him kid recently, he wanted to keep it that way.

Pushing the quilt and sheets off him resolutely Bane decided that he'd go downstairs and work out for a bit to get his stupid head on straight and then spend the rest of the night plotting just what to do about Quinto.

But he should say thank you to Blake for the presents first. That was just good manners after all.

Pulling out his phone Bane considered taking the coward's way out and just texting his thanks for the gifts, but not only did he hate the idea on principle, but he just plain hated texting on top of it. His fingers were too big.

So instead he dialled Blake's number, hoping rather hard that he'd get the answering service. But on the third ring it was picked up.

"Miss me already?"

"How did you know it was me?"

A chuckle. "One, I recognized the ring tone I picked for you, two, I have call display, and three, I was expecting you to call. I'm glad you got home safe. I've been second guessing my decision to let you go so early since you left."

"What's my ring tone?" He was intrigued by the idea.

"That's for me to know and you to wonder."

No one had ever teased and flirted with him like this before. He rather liked it, though was wise enough not to say so since he was fairly sure that on this playing field he was still too new to take on a seasoned pro like his cop. But still, Bane allowed himself to smile since he knew Blake couldn't see it.

"Thank you for the quilt and the book."

"You're welcome. I expect you to study up before I see you next."

"Any particular chapters I should pay attention to?" That struck Bane as the appropriate response, both because it sounded somewhat flirty and because he genuinely wanted to know.

A pause, and then Blake told him that Chapter Three detailed the type of reward he'd be getting when they met next provided he'd paid proper attention to his first lesson and could prove it. Otherwise he might have to settle for something less fun.

All but scrambling for his bedside table Bane hastily retrieved the book from the bag and started flipping through it until he came to the correct section, swallowing hard when he saw what it was devoted to. Oral sex.

"Still there, Bane?"

His yes was croaked out, though Bane was too busy imagining his reward to care how he sounded at the moment. He could see it so clearly after all, his beautiful cop kneeling in front of him, pleasuring him that way while looking up at him, those big brown eyes gone dark and full of desire for him. For him, and not for any other reason but that he wanted to give him pleasure.

"I'll take that to mean you'll be spending a fair portion of tonight deciding just what position you want us in when you get your reward."

"What…do you mean?"

Another chuckle was Blake's response, even sexier than the first. "I mean if you want to be standing, sitting, or lying down, and just how much advantage you want to take of my flexibility and mouth."

Mind blown again.

"Good night, Bane."

It was quite a while before Bane even noticed that Blake had hung up on him, leaving to his incredibly X rated and very enjoyable thoughts.

)

Bane's hope that he could collect his reward the next day proved to be unfounded, as it did for the three days after that due to a bug that was going around that had Blake working double shifts and keeping far too busy to make time for him. Even though he was definitely in need of his cop's attention, Bane mentally grumbled often, as well as made clear in a couple of text and phone messages. Because he'd very quickly reached the point where he was sleep deprived, constantly horny, and masturbating so much he figured it was only a matter of time before he did himself some serious damage if he didn't get his hands on Blake soon. And above and beyond that was the fact that he just wanted reassurance that they were still on the same wave length, especially after his own mental doubting. The quilt was a tangible reminder that he meant something to his cop, but he wanted to mean as much to Blake as the cop was coming to mean to him. Which couldn't be the case at the moment seeing as Blake apparently had no problem being away from him.

And he was miserable and unfocused.

Finally, on the fifth day, he got a text from Blake saying that he could pick him up from work that night, though car sex was out, just so they were clear. This of course had Bane imagining all the ways they could have sex in his car for the rest of the day, but even if all he got was some kisses he was prepared to make do.

It was ten minutes until five when he pulled into a parking space that was about a block and a half from Blake's cop shop, the agreed upon meeting place since he was liable to find trouble if he was caught hanging around the vicinity of Blake's workplace. Even though he wasn't wearing his mask, the scarf he wore being much easier to remove for kissing, Bane knew he'd be recognized quickly enough and though Blake had made it clear he had no intention of hiding their relationship Bane wasn't about to cause the other man trouble before it was unavoidable.

Though it really wasn't a long wait it still felt like forever to Bane, the teenager acutely embarrassed at how happy he felt when he spotted the familiar figure coming down the block towards him, shoulders hunched against the cold, snowy wind.

And then the passenger door was being opened and Blake was sliding into the seat beside him, cursing the cold and the fact that he'd lost his damn gloves again.

"Hi, by the way. Thanks for picking me up."

"You're welcome." Suddenly feeling and shy and having no idea why that was, Bane watched Blake remove his hat and undo his coat, both liberally covered in snow. "You look tired."

"You better believe it. Normally I love having a strong immune system, but at times like this I think I'd almost rather be at home sick than taking on Fuller's workload. Useless, lazy ass." Running a hand through his damp hair Blake grimaced a little as he muttered. "Damn, need to get a haircut again."

Carding fingers through the hair in question Bane's voice was quiet as he stated that he liked it this length.

Reaching over Blake tugged down the scarf, a definite gleam in his eyes and purr to his voice. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." Leaning in Bane framed Blake's face between his hands to make absolutely sure that the cop wasn't going anywhere anytime soon as he moved in to prove just how much time he'd spent recalling every moment of their make out session.

And doing a damn fine job of it judging by the reactions he was getting.


	14. In The Driver's Seat

In The Driver's Seat

In some small, still working portion of his brain, Blake knew that he needed to rein himself in and stop this make out session before he ended up being discovered less than two blocks from his cop shop committing indecent acts in public. But oh fuck, he'd been jonesing for this for five fucking days and he hadn't been this frustrated since he was a teenager even younger than Bane and…and…fuck it he'd pay the fines and do the community service if need be because he was so not putting the brakes on when his engine was revved and raring to go. And since he was definitely not putting the brakes on this he really needed to do something about the fact that there was way too much space between them at the moment.

To change that Blake pushed Bane back into his seat and then swiftly got the hell out of his own seat and using the back of Bane's for balance shifted around so that he could take a new seat in Bane's lap, leaning down to grab the handle that had Bane's chair going down and them with it. Much better.

Spreading his thighs as far as they'd go, man but he loved Bane's bulk and how it felt under him, Blake eagerly resumed the kissing and added wiggling and grinding to what they were doing with very groan worthy results. The hands Bane placed on his ass were more than welcome as well, especially since they were so big and strong and felt so very good kneading said ass with growing confidence.

Reality, unfortunately, returned when his elbow connected with the window painfully when he sat up with the intention of undoing his belt, the curses both creative and very blue as he expressed his opinion of the pain, then the stupidity and illegality of what they were currently doing.

"Robin."

"I know. I can feel you, can't I? And it's not in my ass where I want it either which is just one more axe for us to grind. When I want to grind down on you." Groaning because he couldn't, stupid brain, Blake forced himself to return to his seat, pull down the seat belt, and buckled himself into place to keep him there. "We are not having sex in this car."

Having sat up as well Bane gave him a look that said he did not like this latest turn of events and had every intention of trying to change his mind.

"Bane." Using his best cop voice Blake pointed a commanding finger in the teenager's direction. "I fully intend to get you naked on my bed when we get to my place, and I will not only blow you but your mind as well when that happens. But we are not having sex in this car and the longer you pout over that fact the longer you'll have to wait for said blow job. Now fix your seat, buckle up, and drive responsibly to my place."

"You sound like a cop."

"I am a cop." Though it was mortifying how completely he could forget that fact when Bane had his hands on him.

The hard look he was given made it clear Bane was still not a happy camper, but the teenager put up his seat and did up his seatbelt just as ordered. The fact that his fingers clenched and unclenched on the steering wheel for a bit as he got himself under control was completely understandable, he wanted to do some clenching of his own. Preferably around Bane's cock.

But saying that would only lead to them having sex in the car so Blake kept his mouth shut for the rest of the drive back to his place until they'd parked and were getting out of the car. Taking the teenager's hand, wanting the contact, Blake gave it a squeeze as they headed for the front door, both so aware of the other that Blake wouldn't have been overly surprised if one of them were to suddenly explode from the hormones surges they were both experiencing. Which guaranteed that the sex was going to be phenomenal, with chemistry like this, and that was just one more thought to drive Blake crazy as he did his best to lengthen his own stride so that he could keep up with Bane, who was in just as much a hurry as he was.

Getting up to his apartment in record time, he couldn't have said what way they took or how long it took them to get there, Blake already had his keys ready by the time they reached the door, unlocking it quickly and then throwing the door open, pushing Bane inside before following after. Only sheer habit had him turning around to lock up behind them, which resulted in him being pressed back up against the flat surface by Bane's body. Before he could even think to protest Bane's mouth went to work sucking on his neck while those big hands wrapped around him to undo his belt and then pants.

Turning his head to the side where the locks were, Blake considered it killing two stones as he got his locks in place while he gave Bane his neck to play with, not even caring that he was probably going to have some very nice bruising to cover up tomorrow. He had other things to worry about, like the fact that his pants and boxer briefs were now around his ankles.

"Bane. My boots have to come off."

"Stay where you are." The words were growled, and when Bane grabbed his wrists and forcefully pressed his hands against his door Blake had no problems complying, particularly since Bane's hands then moved to his now bare thighs to stroke the length of them as Bane crouched down behind him to do away with the boots and the articles of clothing tangled with them.

Even when they were off Bane remained where he was, so of course he had to ask if he was enjoying the view. Then he was gasping in surprise when his ass cheeks were suddenly grabbed and forced apart, putting him on display so to speak.

"I don't get how we can fit."

Amused and ridiculously turned on, Blake smiled. "We're working our way up to that for a reason."

Rising to his feet, their bodies sliding against each other's he was so close, Bane placed his lips against Blake's ear. "I've been reading the book. Turn around."

"That was the point." Blake pointed out as Bane moved back enough that he could turn around, having no problem when Bane's hands returned to his ass, boosting him up so that was being carried out of the hallway. In fact, he decided to show his appreciation by wrapping his legs as far around Bane's hips as they'd go and squeezing down hard while he saw to it that their mouths got very busy reviewing their previous make out sessions.

As soon as they were in the bedroom the clothes started coming off, Blake having it the easiest since he only had his coat and uniform top to deal with. So once those were gone he too went straight for the goal so to speak, knocking aside Bane's hands so that he could do it himself.

Waving away Bane's apology about his boots, which had been removed first and were now causing little puddles a little on his floor, Blake pointed out that that was one of the many benefits of having hardwood floors and instead crouched down while taking Bane's pants and underwear with him, telling Bane to step out of them with a smile that promised wicked, wicked things.

Rewarded by the sight of Bane's eyes noticeably dilating, not to mention the change in breathing, Blake licked his lips and thought what the hell, they'd get to the bed eventually.

)

Running his hands up the back of Bane's legs and then ass, Blake moved his hands to hold onto those well muscled thighs as he leaned in to place kisses along the man's inner thighs before nibbling, deliberately rubbing his cheeks against the very hard erection Bane was sporting. Now that his prize was in sight he could afford to take his time, especially when he could so clearly see on Bane's face what he was doing to him. People didn't take care of or play with Bane, but he was and would, Blake thought himself, blue balls be damned.

Humming in pleasure when Bane's fingers carded into his hair, maybe he would keep it this length even if it was a bother, Blake smiled against the skin his lips were pressed against and then turned his head as he wrapped one hand around the base of Bane's considerable erection and took the head into his mouth.

"Robin!"

His hum of pleasure had even more interesting sounds coming from Bane, those sounds quickly turning into bitten off curses and groans. Wanting to wring every new sound from Bane that he could Blake put everything he had into showing him just how talented his mouth could be as he licked and sucked on his new treat, gradually working said treat deeper into his mouth so that he would have more to play with. And feeling Bane's eyes on him the whole time Blake made sure to look up often, letting Bane see how much he wanted him and was enjoying this. Unwrapping his fingers when he didn't need them anymore, he used them to massage and that was more than enough to finish Bane off. Swallowing as Bane came, though some of it dribbled down his chin, Blake slowly let him slide out from between his lips so that he could lick them and wipe the back of his hand over what remained.

Then getting up he took Bane's hand and led him towards the bed, telling him to get on it. Once he was stretched out there Blake climbed in after him to press up against his side, and when Bane's hand came up to stroke his hair again Blake leaned into the touch, enjoying the petting for a couple minutes before pulling away long enough to open the bedside drawer and retrieve the lube he kept there. Well aware of Bane's eyes watching him Blake quickly applied some of the slick onto his hand, tossed the container aside, and then bracing one hand on the mattress leaned in to kiss Bane while his other hand went to work jerking himself off. Not that he had any problem with Bane watching him masturbate, but he didn't have time to show the teenager how he liked it since now that Bane was taking care of it was all about him and his own poor, neglected erection.

He was nicely in his groove when Bane's hands moved to rest on either side of his head to draw it back enough so that Bane could speak, the dark look he aimed in the teen's direction changing to an 'o' of surprise as his words registered.

"I want to do that."

He didn't have to think about that one. "I'm all yours."

Dropping his hand away Blake moved back in to continue the kissing, trusting that he was about to be in good hands so to speak. This was one thing he doubted very much Bane needed instruction for, especially if the teenager had spent the past few days as sexually frustrated as he'd been. Needless to say he'd been right not to worry, the feel of Bane's very rough and calloused fingers wrapping themselves around his erection and squeezing damn good, and then those fingers went to work and he couldn't help the wanton moans muffled against Bane's lips.

Which, unfortunately, had Bane stopping, apparently worried he was being too rough.

"Keep going. I have a feeling I'll have fallen in love with your hands by the time I finish." As further encouragement Blake bit Bane's bottom lip and told him that he better hurry up because the second round was going to be even better. He was going to get him off again and then he was going to have Bane stretch out on his bed so that he could just lick him right up for as long as it took Bane to recover. And then after that they'd have even more fun if Bane was up to it.

After a moment of stunned silence Bane showed how eager he was for that by jerking him off that much harder and quicker, the fact that Blake had already been so close to the edge making him that much easier to get off.

"Oh yeah, definitely loving your hands." Sprawling out on Bane's chest afterwards Blake rubbed his cheek there, enjoying the smell of sweat and Bane. And closing his eyes to enjoy the warmth and comfort he got from the contact, it had been far too long since he'd just been skin to skin with a guy while not having sex, Blake didn't seem the harm in enjoying the moment for a bit, especially when Bane's hand came up to stroke his hair over and over, lulling him into deeper contentment that had his eyes staying closed in spite of the little voice inside his head that told him to stay awake.

)

Even when he was exhausted he was a light sleeper, growing up on the wrong side of Gotham City did that to a guy, so when a hand shook his shoulder Blake found himself throwing off sleep even as his body protested that it had been sleep deprived for days now and wanted more of it for the foreseeable future. Brains topped brawn in this case though, so that he rolled over and onto his back to get a look at who was waking him, blinking in confusion as he stared at Bane. What the-oh.

"Fuck. Did I…I fell asleep on you?" Ears heating up with color Blake ran a hand through his no doubt horrible bedhead, utterly mortified that he'd drifted off like that.

Looking amused Bane told him that dinner was ready and waiting in the kitchen, so he needed to get completely dressed and out of bed.

"I'll be right there."

Watching Bane leave the room Blake waited until he could hear the man's retreating footsteps in the hallway before groaning and covering his face with his hands, allowing himself one last moment of complete embarrassment before forcing himself to throw off the covers and get out of bed. It was then he discovered that not only had Bane apparently tucked him into bed, but the teenager had also cleaned him up and put his pajama bottoms on him.

Shaking his head over it all, talk about a role reversal, Blake sighed and retrieved a shirt that he put on as he left the room and headed down the hallway to the kitchen. A plate had already been made up for him apparently, so he simply took the available seat across from Bane and then looked down at his plate.

"What is it?"

"Dinner."

Picking up his fork Blake gave the 'food' a testing poke. "This did not come from my fridge or cupboards."

"I had to go pick some things up…I had the time."

Taking that to mean that Bane expected him to eat his dinner without complaint to make up for falling asleep on him, Blake scowled and then sighed again in resignation. He was going to have to eat the stuff, whatever it was.

"It's a stir fry." Bane informed him, apparently reading his mind when it came to Blake's dislike of eating things whose names he didn't even know.

"There's no meat in it."

"There doesn't have to be."

Yes, yes there did have to be, but he couldn't say that, now could he? He had to eat the damn stuff and arguing with the guy who'd been sweet enough to make you dinner and take care of you after you up and passed out on him despite promising him more sex later on was just bad manners on top of everything else.

And okay, it wasn't that bad, Blake decided after the first few bites. He'd rather have pizza or McDonalds, but if he had to eat health crap than this was at least edible health crap. Plus he hadn't had to make it himself which was not only appreciated, but a thought that reminded him to say thank you to the chef so to speak.

"We both needed food, and you needed something nutritious given the fact that you've obviously been abusing your body again."

He had to settle for making a sound of disagreement since he had food in his mouth.

"Many things beg to differ, including that healing bruise on your back." It went unsaid, but Blake heard the unspoken demand for an explanation.

"I told you I'd visit your dojo after I'd gotten into better shape. I needed some time to think a couple days ago so I took an hour in the gym, did some boxing." A pointed fork in Bane's direction. "And I won, FYI. Just so we're clear."

Bane gave him a look that said he doubted that.

"I did." And since he figured he should get the apology out before they ended up fighting and he forgot all about owing the teenager one, Blake waited until Bane's gaze was on him. "I'm sorry about before, falling asleep on you. As previously stated, that wasn't part of the plan."

"You were exhausted."

"Okay, yeah, but if you wanted to stay over I could make it up to you. I'm well rested now and I don't have to be early tomorrow." He hadn't intended to invite Bane to stay over just yet, but not a lot about the day had gone quite the way he planned and he had been doing a lot of planning and fantasizing the past few days.

He had some very memorable wet dreams he wanted to make a reality ASAP.

"I wish I could, but I have a meeting late tonight."

"Meeting? What kind of a meeting?"

A pause. "You would rather not know."

Blake narrowed his eyes, not liking the sound of that one little bit. "Am I going to have to bail you out of jail in the near future?"

"No. I have lawyers for that should things escalated to that point, which they rarely do."

It was Blake's turn to glare as he said Bane's name in a very not pleased tone of voice.

"Eat your dinner before it gets cold."

Looking down at his food Blake deliberately stabbed his fork into a pepper with a great deal more force than necessary.


	15. Staying Cool

Staying Cool

Not being an idiot Bane was well aware of the fact that Blake didn't like being left in the dark about the meeting, but there was nothing he could do about that. He didn't want to lie, not to him, but he also wasn't about to tell his curious cop what was going on either. They were keeping their personal and professional lives separate so to speak, and he didn't doubt for a moment that if Blake got wind of the coming showdown with the Bloods he would try to get involved in both capacities. The fact that he didn't need or want Blake trying to protect him was part of it, but it was the thought that the man might get hurt because of him that really bothered him. And added to that was the fact that he couldn't be seen as needing Blake's help, the fact that he'd aligned himself with a cop personally already causing problems as it was without giving his enemies more fodder to use against him.

"Okay, I'm done."

Slightly amused at the fact that Blake had lifted up his plate to show it off, Bane wasn't surprised by the bit of sass either. He'd known the extremely healthy dinner he'd prepared wouldn't go over well given his cop's distain for food that wouldn't kill him prematurely. But any vegetables he could get into the man's system was a good thing in his books, and he was prepared to take the sass and complaints when necessary.

And as he thought that Blake got up from the table, went over to his freezer, and retrieved two Klondike cones before coming back to retake his seat, holding one out towards him with a gleam in his brown eyes that said yes, he knew he was being a little shit and was loving it.

Taking the cone from Blake, Bane neatly tore off the wrapping and then took a bite of the cold treat, enjoying it for a moment before commenting. "A little cold outside for this sort of dessert, isn't it?"

Obviously still in the mood to be a brat Blake swirled his tongue over the ice cream before answering. "Do you need me to keep you warm while you eat it?"

"Robin."

Obviously taking the warning in his voice as a challenge Blake got out of his seat and walked around the table, the other man's eyes daring him to move away from the piece of furniture so that he'd have room to get on his lap. And while he knew it only invited trouble…it had already been well established that he didn't think clearly where this particular cop was concerned.

So Bane pushed his chair back, and after some maneuvering the back of the chair was facing the wall and he was facing Blake head on, the cop looking like a cat who'd just gotten the cream as he continued to lick at his ice cream while taking a seat on Bane's lap.

To keep his sanity Bane tried to turn his attention back to his own cone, not really succeeding since Blake was mouthing and licking up the ice cream in a way that was guaranteed to bring back very pleasant memories of the earlier blow job and just how much he liked the man's mouth period. His ice cream, however good and cold, was doing little to 'cool' him off.

Setting his cone down on his plate Bane ignored Blake's comment on mixing ice cream with the sauce left on his plate and framing his cop's face between his hands pulled his head down to sample the ice cream lingering on Blake's lips.

Enjoying the taste of his man's mouth much more than the ice cream, Bane found he could concentrate on enjoying this treat a lot easier, especially when he was kissed back so enthusiastically.

And then Blake pulled away with a curse, Bane turning his head to see what remained of the cop's Klondike cone broken to pieces and melting all over the man's fingers, the cone having been squeezed so hard in the heat of the moment that it hadn't stood a chance.

"Crap. These things are expensive." Not really sounding that upset Blake lightly tossed what he could onto Bane's plate and then turned his attention back to Bane as he began to lick the sticky mess off the back of his hand.

Catching on quick Bane wrapped his fingers around the wrist of that hand and brought it over to his own mouth, licking up every dripping line of ice cream and sucking each finger clean individually, drawing it out as he watched Blake's eyes darken, dilating with pleasure as he squirmed wantonly in his lap.

And so the hunter became the hunted, Bane thought triumphantly.

Crack

The sound of fake wood breaking was the only warning they had before they were suddenly on the floor with pieces of the chair they'd been sitting on scattered around them and digging into Bane's ass and thighs.

"Oops." Immediately bursting into laughing Blake buried his face against the side of Bane's neck, his slender body shaking with mirth while Bane looked around in a daze before chuckling a little despite the discomfort of some of the nearby debris.

"It would appear we killed your chair."

"No kidding. Though totally worth it." Blake added as he met Bane's gaze again to give him a wink.

Rising to his feet with Blake in his arms Bane set the cop back on his feet before stating that he'd take care of the mess.

"Uh uh." Shaking his head Blake immediately bent down to start piling the wood into a pile. "My fault straight down the line. I'll clean it up."

"You'll get splinters." Bending down as well Bane tried to gently bat Blake's hands away from the mess, but the cop just wouldn't be deterred and kept right on doing what he was doing. "Robin…"

"Are you seriously going to keep calling me by my actual first name? No one has in years."

"It is your name."

The eye rolling aimed in his direction made Blake's thoughts on that point clear, but he didn't argue either as they finished cleaning up the mess they'd made and then deposited the remains in his garbage can.

"So you want another Klondike cone?"

Reacting to the sexy teasing the way his cop obviously wanted him to, Bane licked his lips even as he mentally acknowledged the fact that he better go before they really did end up back in the man's bed without a thought for anything but each other. So with a great deal of regret he pulled Blake against him for one last kiss and then Bane told him that he needed to be heading out.

"Your top secret meeting."

"Not so top secret since you know about it." Bane pointed out as he dropped his hands to his sides.

"I'd say you're splitting hairs there…but you don't really have any."

Chuckling, Bane inclined his head in agreement and then moved to head out of the kitchen, pleased when Blake followed after him to see him out and give him one last kiss goodbye before quietly shutting the door behind him.

)

Quinto had been out of jail for a few days and so far he and the Bloods had done nothing to infringe on Bane's territory or initiate contact in any way. That no move had been made only solidified in Bane's mind the fact that Tony Quinto was in another league from his younger brother, just as he'd been told. A far smarter and more cunning one, this Quinto. So he continued to watch and wait, using his men and the connections they'd forged in the neighborhood to monitor the situation from a distance. To attack prematurely would be pointless, he had every intention of making them come to him so that he could squash his enemy and the other Bloods underfoot with minimal chance of outside interference. Some of his men had wanted to hunt the man down as soon as he'd been freed, but as he'd pointed out again and again at the meeting, there was no point in rushing into things.

Far better to let their enemy hang himself in his own blind need to deliver payback for his brother's defeat and humiliation, Bane thought to himself before putting all that aside to better focus on what he was doing.

And then mere minutes later he sensed the change in the atmosphere of the room despite the fact that he was full immersed in the forms he was running through, Bane straightening up in one fluid motion and turning to look in the direction of the disturbance, his heart rate automatically kicking it up a notch at the sight of his cop making his way across the room towards him.

No uniform and the man's winter coat draped over one arm, to him his man looked hot as hell in the tight fitted long sleeve shirt and well-worn jeans that hugged the cop's frame as lovingly as Bane wished his own hands could. His fingers actually tingled with the need to slip underneath the layers of clothing Blake was wearing to touch all the skin he'd been introduced to the last time they'd met up.

On a more practical note Blake looked much more rested than he had before, hopefully signalling that the huge workload the officer had had dumped on his shoulders had been removed for the time being. And he said as much when Blake came to a stop in front of him, the cop obviously eyeing him from head to toe to take in the sweaty body put on display in the tank top and sweats he was currently wearing.

That his cop liked what he saw made the whole once over that much hotter, especially when combined with the fact that they hadn't seen or touched each other in almost a week. Again.

"Yeah. I've been spending some quality time in bed recently."

Mind immediately going to the idea that his cop might have been sharing a bed with someone else, Bane's body tensed up immediately as images came to life in his head of his Robin naked and in bed with that other cop who's propositioned Blake before before. Touching him, kissing him, Blake's long legs wrapped around the bastard's hips while that sniveling little pissant took what was rightfully his and his alone…

"Someone's having a bad day."

The amused tone had Bane snapping out of his thoughts and just snapping period, so that he jerked Blake up against him without a thought to their rapt audience and the fact that he wore his mask, which meant that the metal kept their lips from meeting when he attempted to kiss his amused cop.

"Forgot about the tin can, huh?" The hands Blake raised cupped both sides of Bane's head, fingers stroking alongside the straps that kept his mask in place. "Hi, by the way."

Feeling foolish, especially since he knew that his cop wouldn't be touching him like this if he'd hooked up with that other cop, Bane returned the 'hello' while mentally reminding his hormones that his brain was in charge, thank you very much. Reminding himself that he'd never get a chance to fuck Blake if he acted like a jealous, needy kid helped too.

"Got a few minutes? I promise to make it quick."

Not liking the sound of that at all, he wanted Blake to stay with him period, Bane nodded anyway and turning Blake loose told him to follow him, belatedly realizing that they had quite the interested audience who were trying and failing to pretend that they weren't watching them.

Heading into one of the building's weight rooms Bane told the two men using the equipment to leave, his order obeyed automatically as the both men left the room quickly and quietly without even grabbing their stuff before they closed the door behind them.

"You've got a good setup in here. Nice equipment too."

Bane let Blake wander into the room to get a look at the machines for a moment while he undid the straps of his mask, carefully setting it down on one of the benches before walking up behind the cop to press his growing erection up against that firm and delicious ass he really wanted to get inside. Placing his hands on Blake's hips so that he could not at all subtly rub up against said ass, Bane angled his head so that he could put his lips on Blake's throat, his intent to leave his mark there before he even thought about turning his cop loose.

"Oh yeah, you definitely missed me." Not moving away but remaining relatively still, Blake did lift up one hand to reach behind to splay his fingers against the smooth dome of Bane's head. "But this isn't a booty call, Bane. Especially since I don't even want to think about the amount of blood and sweat that's been absorbed into every flat surface here, particularly the floor."

"I could make you forget." He'd spent a LOT of time expanding his knowledge beyond the single book Blake had given him, and that knowledge had fueled countless plans and fantasies he had every intention of bringing to fruition in the very near future.

"Well aren't you feeling cocky." To punctuate Blake rolled his hips in a way that had Bane muffling a groan against the side of other man's neck before giving Blake's ear a warning nip.

"Yeah, that'll teach me." There was amusement in Blake's voice when he said that, but not in his next words, the tone very official and cop like. "Has Tony Quinto been causing problems over here that you idiots aren't reporting?"

Bane tightened his grip on Blake's hips, hard enough to bruise a little as he demanded to know how Robin knew that name.

"Oh please, cop here, remember? Of course I know every major street gang in the city and who heads them up. That he got out this week made the cop circuits, and I had my ear to the ground anyway because hello, I'm not an idiot. The Bloods are your only main street competition at the moment, and anything to do with them could possibly come back to bite you in the ass in a very bad way. And your ass is mine currently, so I'm not about to let anyone bite it but me."

Whirling Blake around so that they were facing each other, Bane held the man's chin firmly with one hand as he did his best to stare down the cop eyes that looked back at him unflinchingly. "This is none of your business, Officer Blake. Stay out of it."

"Or what? I'm the one with the handcuffs, remember?"

Ordering himself to remember who he was dealing with, Blake was his lover as well as a cop, Bane did his best to sound reasonable instead of issuing orders the way he would if Blake was one of his men. "This isn't your jurisdiction, and even if it was Quinto has yet to so much as step foot on my territory since being released from prison."

"And a fair chunk of 'your' territory used to be his. And he's going to want it back."

"He has yet to mention it."

"Don't treat me like an idiot, Kid." The use of the hated nickname was punctuated by Blake poking a finger into Bane's chest angrily. "I know how these things work, and if I was a betting man I'd say that top secret meeting you had to go to before had something to do with preparing for Quinto's release."

Bane's voice was a growl. "Don't call me kid."

"Don't act like one then. I'm a cop, it's my job to put people like Quinto back behind bars because he's a career bad guy. He's not going to go straight or find God or any of that other bullshit. He wants to own the underbelly of this city and the fact that he doesn't have what it takes isn't something that would occur to his twisted little brain. If you work with me and let us know ahead of time that he's starting shit we can have him back in prison and-"

"No."

"That's it? Just no? Seriously?"

Ignoring the fury in his cop's voice and eyes Bane repeated his answer again for emphasis. He would not put the man in Quinto's crosshairs, or have anyone thinking that he needed to hide behind his cop's badge. He would take care of this all on his own.

"Do you have any idea what Quinto is capable of? He sure as hell is not his little brother and-oh fuck me. Are you trying to protect me here, seriously?"

"I would very much like to fuck you, yes."

Bane's attempt to lean in and distract Blake from the current topic of conversation was halted by the hand slapped over his mouth, a new 'mask' to get in his way so to speak.

"Nice try, but no. I'm the cop here, not to mention older and way more experienced in this sort of thing than you are, Kid. You do not send me off to amuse myself while you go out and play Heman with some gang banger who likes to beat people half to death for his own amusement!" Another chest poke with his free hand. "Try to treat me like some damsel in distress-I fucking dare you. You do that, and the only part of my body making contact with your cock will be my fucking knee seeing as you think I'm such a girl anyway!"

His response was only slightly muffled by Blake's fingers. "My answer is still no. You need to leave this alone."

"Oh I'll leave you alone, no fucking problem."

Letting Blake jerk away from him, trying to keep the cop in his grasp would not end well, Bane watched the cop retrieve the coat he'd tossed over one of the machines when he'd come in, waiting to see what Blake would say or do next. If this was it, what was between them over before it had really began. A brief tasting of what he could have, snatched away as it always was. Because his Robin was not someone he could bend to his will, not without breaking him first. And while he wanted to rant and actually beg for-

"I'll call you when I don't want to strangle you."

Watching Blake leave, mentally clutching those words and their meaning, Bane breathed a sigh of relief and then walked back over to retrieve his mask, putting it back into place with fingers that shook ever so slightly.


	16. Bring It On

Bring It On

Marching out of the dojo and back onto the street Blake was hard pressed to remember a time when he'd been more angry and exasperated with someone. It had probably happened, you interacted with a lot of idiots and crazy people when you were a cop, but at the moment Blake couldn't think of anyone he'd ever wanted to strangle with his bare hands more. Of course to pull that off he'd need a stool to stand up on, and a way to restrain Bane so that he couldn't easily break free while he did it…but still…

And what was even worse, he huffed to himself, was the fact that his life was now in danger because of the idiot!

Not that Bane was going to know about that until after he'd cleaned up the stupid kid's mess of course. No, he might have come all the way down here to let Bane know that recently his movements had been shadowed by various members of the Bloods when he wasn't in his cop shop, but now Bane didn't deserve to be kept in the loop. They were keeping their personal and professional lives separate after all. So he'd deal with the criminals himself, because that was what a cop was supposed to do.

Besides, it stood to reason that Quinto was showing all this interest in him because he thought he was Bane's weakness, and that just pissed him off on a number of levels. He kept hearing that bitchy woman from that old television show, 'The Weakest Link', using her catch phrase on him. He was not weak and he sure as hell was not going to be some damsel in distress or bait for a trap for Bane. No way in hell.

Fired up thanks to the insulting behavior of two assehole rival gang leaders, Blake began to plan his next move as he headed up the street as the snow fell down around him in gentle flakes. As hard as it would be, especially because cops did not have nine to five jobs, he was going to have to start a routine of sorts, enough so that the Bloods would think they had an idea of his time table and where he'd be at various times in the day. He had to give them what they'd think was a good window to attack after all.

The most logical thing to do was to take up running in the park near his place in the early mornings. It would probably be a stretch for the little gangbangers to get up early, but it would teach them the valuable lesson that the early bird gets the worm…only they'd be surprised when they discovered that their prey was actually the bird and they were the worms.

Laughing evilly at the thought Blake mentally patted himself on the back. Yes, that would work really nicely. He'd have to call in some favors since he wasn't stupid enough to do this without backup, but there were plenty of fellow cops that owed him one for helping them out. Hell, he'd nearly worked himself to death covering for some of them while they were out sick and they damn well owed him for the sex he'd missed out on as a result.

And now, thanks to the situation they were currently in, he was going to have to wait even longer to get all the sex he wanted because Bane had had to go and piss him off.

Damn kid!

Mentally cursing his assehole boyfriend out again, this is so what he got for dating a teenager, Blake shoved his hands in his pockets, kicked snow up in his path, and plotted and planned how he was going to show Bane just who he'd taken on when he'd started to pursue him.

)

Later that night, after he'd gotten in touch with some of the people he thought would be willing to help him out, Blake stared down at his phone in silent contemplation. On the one hand he was still pissed at Bane for earlier, and didn't really want to talk to him unless it was for phone sex, but on the other hand he would be bending, if not breaking a boyfriend rule if he didn't call the jerk now and give him a heads up about Scott. Not that he owed the heavy handed caveman Bane currently was a real explanation, but he probably was obligated, especially given the newness of their relationship, to call and fill Bane in on one point of this whole operation he was putting together.

Decision made Blake accessed Bane's number and listened to it ring three times before Bane's voice came over the phone, stating that he hadn't expected to hear from him tonight.

"I wasn't going to call, but I thought I'd give you a heads up that I'm going to be working on something with the sergeant you overheard me talking to in the stairwell before. Given your reaction to him before I thought I'd be the bigger person and tell you what I'm up to. Its work, not personal, but I figured you'd be less likely to get the wrong idea if I told you about it first."

A telling silence, and then when Bane spoke his voice revealed nothing. "He picked you to be part of a task force?"

"Not exactly. It's off the books for now. There's not enough proof for a real investigation just yet. Whether it will go anywhere, well time will tell."

"And if I said I didn't like the idea?"

"Then I'd point out you're in the dog house with me right now, and don't have the right to ask me to pass up on something like this. We'd have to be together for a long while before you'd have that right." Voice softened a little, he couldn't ignore the fact that he knew Bane had zero real relationship experience, Blake sighed and gave in a little. "Are you busy tomorrow?"

Another pause and then Bane asked why he was asking.

"I'm going to Charlie's theater tomorrow after work. I thought you might want to join me." His plans would go to hell if Quinto thought he and Bane had broken up, so they did need to be seen together even though he was still mad at Bane. And also…he wasn't so mad he wanted to push Bane too far away either.

"I would like to go with you to the movies. What time do you get off?"

"I should be done a little after six, if everything goes according to plan. That work for you?"

"Yes. I'll see you at your bus stop so that we can ride it together."

"It's a date then. One that will not include sex or you getting off in any way, FYI. I'm still pissed at you."

Bane made a small sound of amusement. "I'm not deaf, Robin. I can hear that fact in your voice."

"Good. Then see you tomorrow, Kid."

Hanging up before Bane could bitch about being called Kid again, the kid deserved the demotion, Blake pocketed his phone and then headed towards the kitchen for a late night snack. Talking to Bane had returned his appetite, it seemed.

)

Oh but this plan had better work, Blake silently ranted to himself as he jogged in the freezing cold winter air, the layers he was wearing only doing so much when it came to keeping warm. He'd been risking pneumonia for four days now and so far the appealing bait he was supposed to be seen as hadn't gotten a single nibble. Plus he was having to buy coffee and donuts every day that he made his backup show up to keep an eye on him while he pretended to exercise every morning before work, and he wasn't made of money for Christ sakes. But this was the best he could do, to give the Bloods a chance to come at him. He'd made sure that they knew that he was taking up running in the park to get into better shape, so really it should only be a matter of time before they made their move.

Unless Quinto had decided that he wasn't a worthy target. That was entirely possible after all even though Blake hated the idea that this was all for nothing. Because while the Bloods had been watching him, it was possible they'd decided that his relationship with Bane was too new, or that they just didn't want to risk the huge trouble they'd be in if they got fingered for assaulting or murdering a cop. Arkham was not a popular vacation spot after all.

If this turned out to be a wild goose chase the guys he'd enlisted to help him out were going to rag his ass raw.

An ass, he might add, that had seen zero action recently and wasn't happy about it. But as he'd told Bane over the phone earlier in the week he was still pissed off and therefore their date at the movies had really been a pretty G rated affair. Bane hadn't even tried to back him up against the alley wall or lecture him about his safety before or afterwards. He had walked him to his apartment building though afterwards, and he had allowed the teenager one kiss which hadn't remotely satisfied either of them, but he hadn't been about to put out when Bane had so completely disrespected him and his abilities.

Man he wanted to have his brains fucked out by Bane.

Groaning at the thought, he really did need to get his priorities straight, Blake shook his head and told himself to get his head in the game because this was no-oh thank God!

Through the earpiece he'd hidden from sight with a hat, Blake listened as the report came in that a parked van with stolen plates was parked further down the path he'd taken to using every day, and a lookout had been spotted near it with binoculars turned in the direction he'd be coming from. It looked like the plan was to wait until he was about to pass the van and then burst out and grab him, dragging him into the vehicle and then driving off with him to wherever it was they wanted him. It was actually a pretty decent plan, with a limited chance of being seen or someone intervening, but it was doomed to fail and Blake couldn't wait to spoil their plans.

Adrenaline kicking into high gear as he picked up his pace, Blake couldn't wait to face them down and make them cry like babies as he focused on what he was being told as McCormick gave everyone their orders as team leader, including him. And he had no problem with that since unlike a certain jackass he was dating he was perfectly capable of trusting in the abilities of others, Blake thought smugly as he covertly acknowledged that his orders were received. He might not always like having someone else be in charge of his wellbeing, but he wasn't an idiot either. Unlike Bane.

And he really needed to focus on what he was doing or someone he didn't want getting hurt was going to bleed or worse. Not to mention the fact that if he got hurt Bane would rub it in his face instead of him being the one doing the rubbing in when he showed Bane up by bagging Quinto without him.

Spotting the van when it came into view, Blake adjusted the turtleneck he was currently wearing, which hid the fact that he was wearing a bulletproof vest and that he had covered every inch of skin that he could from the chin down. That way the odds that they'd try to use an injected drug to subdue him would lessen, a taser or just brute strength far more likely. They could always drug him in the van too, but he had no intention of letting himself be dragged into their lair.

Playing dumb and unaware of what was coming to the best of his ability, he wasn't an actor by any scope of the word and knew it, Blake hoped he looked cool and focused solely on the path in front of him, right up until the point where he was moving past the van, the sound of the side door opening his signal to end this little charade of his.

Aiming for the arm closest to him Blake spun around and dislocated the teenager's elbow with a punishing kick, his hands grabbing the wrist of someone else's hand that was reaching for him while a third attacker, significantly bigger and stronger than the others, came at him from the side to wrap his arms around him, jerking Blake up and around with the apparent intent to physically throw him into the van.

"FREEZE! POLICE!"

In the process of being thrown towards the van when the words rang out, Blake put his rusty high school gymnastics training to good use as he twisted his body so that instead of entering sideway he grabbed the top of the van with both hands, pushing against the side of the door with his foot so that he went back into the air, and then went feet first into the vehicle.

Luck was with him too, his target so stunned that Dante Quinto didn't even try to duck when both of Blake's feet connected with his face so that the little bastard smashed into the other side of the van, unconscious before he hit the metal floor with a thud.

After getting his feet back under him so that he was balancing on the edge of the van's open door with one hand remaining on the roof for support, Blake drew his gun with his free hand and pointed it at the driver of the van while the punks outside were taken care of. Thankfully the pimply faced little bastard they'd picked for their getaway driver was willing to make it easy for him by raising his hands in submission, Blake keeping the gun trained on the boy until the driver was out of the vehicle and in cuffs.

That done Blake put away his gun and then moved in to slap his own cuffs around Quinto's, smiling like a shark as he hauled the little bastard up by his jacket collar and started dragging him out of the van.

Now this was the way to start the day.

)

Since he'd hoped this would be the outcome Blake was more than ready when his superiors wanted to know what the hell he'd gotten himself involved in and why the fuck they hadn't been notified that the life of one of their officers was in danger. Thankfully he was just a lowly officer who wasn't working on any high profile cases, so when he gave the excuse that he hadn't seen the point in making things official until he'd confirmed that the Bloods were indeed stalking him for some unknown reason it was actually credible. Until they'd actually come at him he'd had no way of knowing what they wanted, and wasting valuable police resources, especially when they'd already been short staffed due to the various strains of flu going around, would have been unadvisable.

There was no point in avoiding his relationship with Bane either, he wasn't stupid enough to think it wouldn't come up in interview after all. Better him tell them straight out then have that come back to bite him in the ass. And being only human, and not wanting to spend the entire day having his sanity questioned, Blake did try and make them sound more like friends than lovers, but even then…to say they had a problem with it would be a mild term for their reactions. And yes, his sanity was questioned a number of times over before fate decided to cut him a small break on top of the fact that said superiors couldn't deny that they had all five gang members cold due to the whole thing being record and thoroughly witnessed.

It was fate's decision to send Scott to the office to check in and confirm that he had been aware of the situation and had had a hand in the sort of sting that saved Blake from further verbal abuse. Scott was currently one of their Golden Boys at the moment, and his former boyfriend's subtle protection of him and his actions went a long way towards lightening the dressing down their superiors felt he deserved for his poor personal judgement and for not following the rules to the letter yet again.

Which basically meant that this was just one more black mark they probably couldn't wait to add to his record, Blake acknowledged, well aware that his rule breaking and general refusal to kiss ass was why he was still an officer, yay him. But he was all about the job, so he didn't give a damn about that.

Once set free Blake couldn't get out of the room fast enough, especially since he still had plans to put into action to make sure that what had happened would keep the elder Quinto off his back instead of encouraging the former jailbird to step up his game and try for him or Bane again.

The fact that the commissioner was waiting for him was a slight wrench in the works, bringing Blake up short and to attention automatically. "Sir."

"Officer Blake. Quite the morning you had, I hear."

Since an attack on a police officer was a BFD Blake wasn't surprised that the news had already reached Gordon's ears. The older man didn't miss much. "Yes, Sir."

Hands in his pockets Gordon gave him a thoughtful look as he rocked back on his heels. "You know what Foley said to me today when we were discussing your little sting? He said that you cause even more trouble than I did when I was an officer. And that, Son, is saying something."

Not sure how to respond to that, especially when he was being smirked at so knowingly, Blake thought it best to say he'd take that as a compliment.

"It wasn't meant as one, not from him anyway, but…so far Miranda hasn't struck again which is unusual for her. And you put together an unofficial op with plenty of cops happy to provide backup because they trust and respect you. I've asked around about you." Gordon added knowingly. "And I like what I hear."

"Thank you, Sir."

"The next date for the detective's exam is the middle of next month. Start studying, Officer."

And on that note Gordon inclined his head and strolled off, leaving Blake behind to stare after him like a shocked guppy.


	17. Kill The Messenger

Note: I'm on vacation this coming week, so any updates will be on the weekend, not the Friday. Thanks.

Kill The Messenger

Observing his men as they moved in perfect unison as the various forms were called out by one of his higher ranking instructors, Bane turned around to face the intruder when the door opened unexpectedly, though his stance relaxed when he saw that it was Barsad standing in the doorway. This waiting for the Bloods to act was starting to get him a little, especially since all the reports he'd been getting suggested that the rival group was up to something but keeping the exact nature of their plans in the higher ranks. And while the younger Quinto had surrounded himself with his friends and muscle, the older brother had the sense to put his best in charge of things now. Though perhaps this surprise interuption had to do with the Bloods, Bane considered, as Barsad's face certainly suggested he had a good reason to be dropping in, motioning him to come with him so that they could discuss whatever was going on in private.

Leaving his men to their work Bane went over to stand on the other side of the doorway, keeping his voice low as he asked for a report.

"The Bloods made their move this morning. They went after your cop. He's fine, I made sure of it personally."

"They put their hands on Robin?" Bane forgot all about watching his volume, snarling out the words as his mind began planning the countless ways he was going to make every Blood and their families sorry they'd ever drawn their first breath on this godforsaken planet. That Barsad was telling him that Blake was fine did register in some part of his brain, but even just the thought that he could have lost his bird before he'd truly had him was enough to have a red haze ominously color Bane's vision.

"Mostly they tried and failed. He knew they were coming for him."

"Explain."

"They did recon first, to try and learn his routines, and he caught on to their interest and correctly assumed that they intended to use him against you. He put together an un-official team made up of off duty cops to cover him, gave the Bloods their opportunity, and arrested the five members that were present at the time of the failed abduction. One of those members was the younger Quinto so he's no longer a problem. When I got word of what went down I called Officer Blake, he gave me his card in case I needed to get ahold of him, and he said to tell you not to kill the messenger, and that not only Dante but Tony is taken care of as well. In exchange for your cop's agreement to downgrade the charges little brother is going to be facing Blake made Tony swear to stay in current Blood territory, to not attempt to expand it, and his word that he'll leave us and Blake alone from now on. If he goes back on his word the elder Quinto apparently knows that Blake or Blake's fellow officers will see that Quinto Jr ends up in a cell with a member of the Wright family."

The Wright family in this case referred to five males who'd come from a long line of enforcers and hitmen for a major drug cartel that had once ruled quite a large chunk of Gotham's underworld before they'd been taken out thanks to the Dent Act. According to the information they'd gathered on Tony the current Bloods leader had had several run ins with them while in prison and had lost every time. If his brother ended up in a cell with one of them the little punk be broken numerous times over before the week was over. If he was still breathing at that point.

And while neither Bane nor Barsad believed Blake would do such a thing, Tony didn't know this particular cop the way they did. It was a damn good threat.

Of course none of what Bane had just learned changed the fact that his cop had apparently been in mortal danger because of him and the little shit hadn't told him. More so this was quite probably the op Robin had told him about when he'd mentioned working with that ex boyfriend of his, which meant that HIS man had gone to that pathetic bastard for help instead of him.

Seeing that Bane was ready to explode regardless of their rapt audience, Barsad figured he should just finish his report up and get it over with.

"He also told me to mention that he intended to tell you that the Bloods were watching him earlier, but you told him what was going on with them was none of his business and that he was to stay out of it. He decided that meant you didn't want to work together to solve the problem like adults." He'd also been told by Blake to call Bane a kid when he relayed this part of the conversation, but Barsad wasn't stupid. If someone was going to end up dead as a result of this conversation it was going to be the cop.

Every eavesdropping man in the room flinched in unison when Bane demanded to know where Robin was now.

"Work. He said after he's going out to celebrate with his friends, but that you can come by his place anytime after ten if you want."

Clenching and unclenching his fists, struggling to remember how important it was to control himself, especially in public, Bane had a number of things to say about Blake's message, but none that he would express in the company of his men. No, all his words and thoughts on this matter he'd save to relay to his cop when night descended and he had the other man alone and in his grasp.

Oh he'd have plenty to say then.

"We'll continue to keep an eye on the Bloods. Sacrificing his brother might be worth regaining his reputation down the line." The brothers had been close before Dante had gone to prison, but things and men changed in such places.

"Of course." And knowing it was time to go Barsad inclined his head and then asked if there was any task Bane needed him to see to before he returned to his own work.

"No. I'll take care of the rest."

Needless to say, if not for their instinctual dislike for cops, Bane's men would have felt rather sorry for one Officer John Blake right about then.

)

Arriving twenty minutes early, it wasn't like Blake's apartment building offered the sort of security he couldn't get around with ease, Bane headed up the stairwell with the intention of catching the other man off guard if the opportunity was there. He was, he was sure, more than ready to take whatever his Robin might try and throw at him to keep him off centered, since not being an idiot his cop had to know what kind of boiling hot water he was currently swimming in. So he'd prepared mentally for any maneuver or trick Blake might attempt to use against him, and Bane was sure to his bones that he would be giving the man exactly what was coming to him in short order. His cop could appear before him naked and on his knees and he wouldn't waver.

Though it would give him a bit of a pause.

And if Officer Blake knew what was good for him the other man was thanking his lucky stars that his ex had been called away to another crime scene that morning and therefore hadn't been part of the take down, because if he had been...as it was Bane had some choice words to say about the fact that Blake had dared turn to his spineless fuck-up of an ex instead of coming to him for protection the way he should have. This hadn't been the ordinary dangers cops were exposed to after all, but a targeted hit because of him. And if he had to put his idiot cop over his knee and paddle his bird's fine little ass red until Blake got that through his head, then he was more then willing at this point.

When he came to the correct door Bane knocked first, having already decided to let himself in if Blake wasn't yet at home. It would be a good reminder to his cop that he could call him kid and lord his older years all he wanted, but in the end he was dealing with a man that the rest of Gotham had the common sense to be wary of.

But Bane soon heard footsteps on the cheap hardwood flooring that had been laid out throughout the apartment, and then the sound of the various locks that were attached to the door being undone. Pulling down the scarf he'd worn to hide his mask, he was here on business after all, Bane had just enough time to cross his arms sternly in front of him before the door opened and there was his cop, leaning against the jamb in a languishing fashion that went with the smirk Bane was coming to know spelled trouble for him.

He had just enough time to think that and then his instincts kicked in, because he knew that particular look in his man's eyes and recognized the cause of the loose and soft aura the cop was giving off.

In one swift move Bane's restraint ended and he was up in Blake's face, demanding to know what the man had been getting up to.

"Whatever do you mean?" Was Blake's oh so innocent response, the other man making no effort to put space between them or even straighten up his posture a little. Like a lazy cat he just continued to stare up at Bane like he hadn't a care in the world.

"I can practically smell the sex on you. Is he here?" If he was Bane was going to make it very clear that he had no problem assaulting police officers. Or putting them in their graves prematurely. In fact, the red haze from earlier was back with a vengeance now, Bane's fingers shaking with the need to close around the slim throat of the man he'd come to trust. Who'd betrayed his trust and him more than once today it seemed.

"Come to the bedroom and see."

Eyes narrowing, his brain and its ability to think logically having not completely shut down yet, Bane knew in his gut that Blake was smart enough to know what he'd do to him and anyone he cheated on him with, so this invitation to the bedroom was suspicious. But it also lessened the ache of the wound that had opened up in his chest at the thought that on top of everything else he'd learned today his Robin had decided to deal him the blow of cheating on him too.

Instincts calming him down enough that he didn't lash out the way he'd been seconds away from doing so, Bane growled the order for Blake to show him what he meant, his eyes naturally gravitating down when the other man chose to saunter down the hallway, that pert ass he was coming to love deliberately taunting him as Bane followed after him once the door was closed and relocked, his coat hung up as he had no intention of leaving before he was good and ready to leave.

When they were in the bedroom Bane watched as Blake went straight over to his bedside table to pick something up, the look the cop shot at him over his shoulder putting him further on his guard.

"Here's your culprit."

Catching it one handed when the object was thrown at him, Bane stared down at the still wet dildo and then very slowly looked back up to meet Blake's knowing gaze.

"I had a really good day, thought I'd celebrate. And take the edge off so I didn't jump you the minute you came through the door while I was at it." A wide grin. "You're early."

Eyes gravitating back down Bane studied the toy for a long moment as the implications of it and the lube on it registered in his teenage brain. And getting a very clear picture of what he'd just missed seeing Bane tossed the sex toy onto the bed and then moved in to crowd the cop back against the wall, using his much larger frame to his advantage as he slowly and very pointedly undid the strings of the other man's sweats. Once they were loose enough, without a word of protest from Robin, Bane slid a hand between the warm body pressed against his and the wall. And once there, Bane shifted and then plunged his hand under the sweats to slid a very knowing finger between Robin's ass cheeks and into the still damp opening that had already been stretched out for him.

Gasping in shock as he arched up onto his toes, Blake's fingers dug into the arms he'd automatically grabbed onto for support, nails digging in that much harder when Bane's finger moved inside of him.

"Sensitive. Bane. Shit. You have to be-God!"

"You have been very bad today."

Shivering as Bane's finger continued to thrust in and out of him, Blake stuck out his chin anyway. "If you're expecting an apology you aren't going to get-AH-Fucking hell!"

Having no qualms about using the man's current sensitivity against him, exploiting the weaknesses of your opponents was standard in any type of warfare, Bane continued to experiment with moving and twisting his finger around to torment and punish his lover for his behavior. "You should have come to me. This was my business, and you are mine as well. Going behind my back, and asking that ex of yours for help instead...did you really think there would be no punishment for this?"

Swallowing hard, his lips already red from biting down on them to try and conceal what Bane's touch was doing to him, Blake glared back defiantly, eyes bright with it. "I did come to you. You said it was none of my business. You have no one to blame but yourself."

Not liking that answer one little bit Bane decided the adding of another finger was in order, taking dark pleasure in the way Blake's mouth fell open in a wide O as the man's breathing became more ragged as Blake stuttered out curses that seemed to be directed more at himself than Bane.

"You will apologize."

"No!"

Taking that as a challenge Bane focused solely on fucking his stubborn ass's ass, deliberately using his nails and being rough so that Blake bucked and cursed, and alternated between hissing in pain and moaning in a darker sort of pleasure. They both knew that if Blake really wanted Bane to stop the cop would have thrown himself bodily into struggling and fighting to get loose, and trusting that the other man would tell him if he was crossing a line he shouldn't Bane continued to do what he wanted with his cop's body, stopping every minute or so to demand an apology that Blake refused to give him, eyes still alight with a defiant will that matched his own. No, his bird would not back down, not unless he was pushed to to the breaking point. That was how strong Robin Blake was underneath his too weak and undisciplined body.

He was so hard in his jeans just over that, Bane was surprised he hadn't come from just the picture his Robin made as they steamed up the room, his bird defying and tempting him so erotically while he fucked himself on his fingers even as he cursed him.

Bane was so focused on what he was doing that he wasn't even aware of how bad his breathing had gotten until Blake's fingers were undoing his mask and tossing it off and onto the bed, the influx of air suddenly reaching his lungs making Bane a little lightheaded as he shook his head and paused in surprise, suddenly aware of his own less than stable and in control state.

"Take a seat on the bed. Come on now. Just a few steps."

Following Blake's direction automatically, there was a large part of his brain that said it was a good idea if he didn't want his knees buckling on him, Bane had just sat down when he realized that no, this wasn't what he wanted. He wanted them right where they had been, and would have gotten back to his feet if Blake hadn't straddled his lap in that moment, the man's lips crushing against his while the cop's hand wrapped around his wrist, bringing it around so that his hand could slide back under the man's sweats.

Taking the hint Bane returned his fingers to their earlier task, Blake breaking off the kiss to place more kisses along Bane's jaw and head while his hands stroked over Bane's shirt covered back when they weren't digging in for purchase when Bane's fingers were too much for him to handle.

"You know I'm not going to apologize, right?" Blake's voice was raspy and harsh like the "Fuck!" that left the cop's lips when Bane chanced to graze his prostrate.

"We will stay here all night if necessary. You will apologize."

Leaning his head to the side Blake bit down hard on Bane's ear before whispering into it that that was an incentive to refuse, not give in.

"You will not think so when I continue to deny you climax." Bane growled back, though at this point he was having a hard time remembering why they couldn't just fuck each other's brains out here and now. Yes the apology and groveling he wanted from his cop was important, he vaguely remembered that, but they were hot and sweaty and his Robin was just begging for it. And it had been so very long...

"Try and stop me."

His mouth suddenly occupied with kissing his Robin back, Bane naturally assumed the cop meant to distract him from his goal to torment him into giving him an apology. Ego had Bane deciding that this was just one more way to assert his dominance over his bird though, and so he simply stilled his fingers, knowing the size of them and all the wiggling Robin was doing on top of him would take care of that while he concentrated on taking over the kissing, cupping the back of Blake's head with his free hand to keep his cop right where he wanted him.

So he failed to see through the ploy until it was too late, and Blake was coming over both their fronts thanks to the hand the little shit had slid between them and had used to jerk himself off with while Bane was being distracted with the kissing.

"Robin..."

Rather than answer Robin just nuzzled his face against the slop of Bane's neck while making very pleased sounds in his throat.

"I'm very displeased with you."

A very sexy chuckle. "I'm pleased with you, if that makes you feel better."

It really, really didn't.


	18. You Apologize

You Apologize

Now that the more pleasurable sensations were starting to fade, and boy had that second orgasm been a lovely surprise, Blake was aware that he was probably not going to sit down comfortably for a while, and that straddling Bane wasn't doing his poor ass any favors at the moment. So to cut said ass a break he switched position so that he was sitting much more comfortably in Bane's lap, wrapping his arms around the teenager's neck to keep himself in place given Bane's current mood. And well aware that Bane was still waiting for an apology from him Blake cuddled up against him before addressing the elephant in the room yet again.

"I'm not apologizing until you do. You fucked up first."

"You have a number of things to apologize for, while I've done nothing wrong."

Lifting his head so that he could meet Bane's gaze, and oh yeah, that was a stubborn look in those beautiful eyes he was coming to know so well, Blake simply met Bane's stare squarely while lowering his right arm so that he could poke Bane's chest to punctuate his response to that.

"You owe me an apology for not respecting me as a man, and more, as a cop. For refusing to trust me when it came to The Bloods and treating me like a damn girl. You apologize for that and I'll apologize for not keeping you in the loop about the fact that I was targeted, and for asking an ex boyfriend for help instead of you. But you are apologizing first, Kid. Deal with it."

"And if I refuse?"

Leaning in so their foreheads were touching Blake was blunt. "Kid, we can't have a grownup relationship if you are incapable of admitting when you're wrong. I'm willing to admit what I did wrong, even if it was mostly justified, and in the future I will accept blame when I fuck up. Which I will because that's what people do. Real men accept blame, children pass it off on others."

There was a long moment of silence, Bane obviously weighing his options now that he'd essentially been told that if he didn't apologize he was basically a child in Blake's eyes and would be treated as such.

"If I apologize...you'll apologize for both your mistakes and stop calling me Kid again?"

Blake opened his mouth to dryly ask why Bane wasn't asking for sexual favors while he was at it, closing it when it occurred to him that the teenager was showing the kind of control here that would be impressive for any guy, much less a nineteen year old. It wasn't just his ego either, men couldn't hide when they were aroused after all and even now he could feel Bane's against his thigh. He'd made his willingness all too clear, so for Bane to have kept himself in check this whole time and still be doing that...God that was so fucking hot and sexy he'd jump the man here and now if his ass were up to it.

Hoping he wasn't drooling Blake nodded and stated that yes, he'd agree to those terms.

And after the apologizing he was going to be all over Bane like white on rice.

Some of what he was thinking must have shown on his face because Bane squirmed under him, pupils dilating a little before Bane manned up again so to speak.

"Then I apologize for making you feel that I don't respect you as a man or a cop. You're the only cop in this city I have any respect for."

"From you that's not saying much, but I'll take it." And while there were plenty of other demands he could make, most of them revolving around Bane learning from this and trust him more, Blake opted to let it rest and instead kept his part of the bargain. "And I apologize for not making you listen to me when it came to the fact that I suspected The Blood might be after me, as well as my decision to ask an ex to help me take Quinto down instead of you. Though for the record I didn't ask him for help to piss you off, that was just a side bennie. I knew the brass would be pissed at me for keeping them out of the loop, they don't like me much, but Scott's their golden boy and he was willing to go to bat for me."

"There would have been no need for him to do so if you'd trusted me to keep you safe."

"Would your methods have worked as well as mine though? Especially since I'd have had to arrest you and your gang members if I knew you were breaking the law to put them in their place." Blake wagged a finger in Bane's direction. "Street 'justice' can work, for a while, but in the end violence just perpetuates more violence, especially in Gotham. What I did sent out a message to Quinto and to your enemies, making it clear I'm not someone they can use against you and that I can fight dirty too without having to break the law."

"They went after you because of me. That made it my business to deal with."

It was like talking to a wall sometimes. A big, Bane shaped wall. "Bane...as long as we're dating your business is my business. Particularly when my neck is on the line. And hopefully it won't happen again any time soon, especially since this is one topic I don't think you and I are going to agree on in the future either. So let's focus on the fact that I'm celebrating the fact that though my immediate supervisors see me as a huge pain in their collective fat asses, Commissioner Gordon doesn't feel the same."

"So you didn't need your ex's help to get out of trouble."

Giving into his juvenile side for a moment Blake allowed himself to make strangling gestures in Bane's direction before refuting that. "Gordon isn't real popular with them either, and no, he didn't keep my neck off the block about today. What he did was arrange for me to be able to finally take the detective's exam next month, which means very soon you will have to call me Detective Blake and I can finally ditch the uniform." No more tight, uncomfortable cop shoes, Blake thought dreamily. It was going to be heaven.

"They don't deserve you."

Since he'd thought something along those lines a time or two Blake chose to take it as a compliment and thanked Bane for it before adding a brief brush of lips as an added thanks.

And then he asked if Bane was interested in getting to the fun part of fighting.

"The fun part of fighting?"

"Making up."

)

Waking up with a cheek pressed against Bane's back Blake smiled, nuzzling his face there for a moment as he inhaled the scents he associated with the teenager before turning over to lie on his back, the arm he'd had slung over Bane's side withdrawing with him. When Bane didn't stir in response Blake smile became downright smug, taking that as a sure sign that he'd worn the teenager right out the night before. His own ass had been off limits to insure he wouldn't be too sore come morning, but they'd made ample use of their hands and mouths, and rubbing off on each other had been loads of fun too. Bane had been very bossy and controlling too, but he figured that was because the teenager felt he needed to assert his own dominance seeing as he'd been the one protecting Bane yesterday rather than the other way around.

He hadn't minded in the slightest.

And it would be interesting to see what would happen if they ever had a whole weekend or even week to spend together, Blake mused as he tried to ignore the fact that he needed to get up. Of course that would probably never happen, especially given their 'jobs', but if the opportunity presented itself...oh yeah they'd have so much fun. And possibly die in the best way possible given that he was dealing with a teenager's short refractory period.

Finally getting out of bed when he couldn't delay it any longer, Blake headed for the bathroom to take care of business and then trudged back out and headed for the kitchen where he hunted up some Eggos from the fridge freezer. From there it was short work to put together some breakfast for them in the forms of three Eggos each and two peeled oranges in a bowl for them to share. Three probably wasn't enough for Bane, but Blake didn't want the ones already made to get any cooler, and he figured Bane would only eat them because he'd made them for him given their lack of nutritional value.

Placing the food, glasses of orange juice, and the accompaniments for the Eggos on a tray, Blake smiled in pleasure and then headed back towards the bedroom to wake Bane up with the food.

Setting the tray down on the side of the bed Blake carefully slid under the covers and then brought the tray over to set it on his lap before reaching over to give Bane's shoulder a shake to alert him that breakfast was served.

Immediately Blake was awake and shifting onto his back before sitting up to face him with a questioning look on his face until he caught sight of what was resting on Blake's lap.

"What, you've never had breakfast in bed before?"

"No."

Grinning evilly Blake purred out that he loved being first and then suggested that Bane move a little closer so that they could share easier.

Shifting over a little closer Bane studied the contents of the tray, Blake not the least surprised when the teenager commented on the waffles and the fact that they were obviously pre-made and likely clocked full of harmful preservatives. Then came the question of whether or not the oranges were organic, which he thought not given the size of the slices.

Not bothering to argue Blake simply used his knife to add butter to his waffles before liberally coating them with the maple syrup, letting Bane lecture him on his sugar intake again while not really paying any attention.

"You want your waffles plain be my guest. Just don't eat all the orange slices because those were my last ones and my boyfriend keeps harping about my vitamin C intake."

"I don't harp."

"Keep telling yourself that, Sweetie."

Scowling in response to that Bane opted not to argue, picking up his plate of waffles from the tray to study them more closely before asking how bad they tasted without anything on them.

"Never been stupid enough to try them without."

Apparently coming to the conclusion that he could suffer the extra calories so that they'd be edible Bane added a much smaller amount of butter and syrup to his waffles and the turned his attention to cutting them up into bite sized pieces as well. In comfortable silence they began to eat their breakfast, alternating between the waffles, orange slices, and the juice to wash it all down.

And then his cellphone went off to break the quiet, Blake passing the tray over to Bane before retrieving the device to see who was calling him. It was an unknown number, never a good sign, but Blake accepted the call anyway, stating his name and rank before asking who was calling.

"Officer Blake." Came Commissioner Gordon's voice through the speaker. "I apologize if I woke you on your day off."

"No, Sir. I've been up for a bit now. What can I do for you?"

"I'm calling you unofficially, concerning our little experiment. There's been an incident at St. Catherine's I thought you'd be interested in, especially since you've apparently decided to form a relationship with Ms. Ducard's step brother."

Doing his best not to look at Bane, who hopefully couldn't make out much of the other side of the conversation, Blake asked what she'd done.

"A girl named Emily Mason is currently in the hospital having been badly beaten, as well as used as a human cutting board late last night. None of the knife wounds were life threatening, it would seem someone simply wanted the pleasure of slicing into human flesh. Mason isn't naming names, and nothing was caught on security cameras. Interestingly enough Ducard couldn't be found on any video footage at the estimated time of attack either, so she has no alibi except for her roommate who is vouching for her."

"You're thinking she was jonesing for a fix of the bloody sort?"

"Perhaps. She and Mason weren't getting along, the latter has a known habit of picking on newcomers, Ducard was questioned this morning but she denied any involvement in what happened. Quite convincingly, I'm told, the detectives in charge believed her. But I thought it worth noting, especially since we're not the only ones who've noticed that Miranda hasn't struck recently."

Very aware of that fact, Blake asked if Gordon wanted him to use his contacts within St. Catherine's to try and find out more.

"It couldn't hurt."

"Then I'll let you know what I find out as soon as I have something to pass along."

"See that you do. I've told my assistant to put you through immediately if you call, and you will be a part of the task force assigned to the Miranda Murders if another one isn't committed by the time you take your detective's exam. And if you're right about her...well Detective second grade shouldn't be long behind the first, especially since the promotion is long overdue."

"Thank you, Sir."

Brushing that off Gordon said his goodbyes and then the call ended, Blake returning his phone to his side table before turning his attention back to the breakfast tray and the food on it.

"Something happened at St. Catherine's? Is Talia all right?"

"She's fine." Physically at least, Blake thought as he gave Bane's shoulder a comforting squeeze. Mentally was a whole other story. "Another resident was injured there last night and I'm going to check into it later today, that's all."

"I thought you were off the roll today."

Eyebrows raising, how did Bane know his schedule, Blake didn't bother to ask and answered the question as honestly as he could. "The attack might be related to another case I'm looking into. I'm just going to drop in and ask a few questions. But yeah, if you're doing nothing this morning..." Blake trailed off, trusting the salacious look he aimed in Bane's direction to convey how they could spend their time together.

Setting aside the tray he was still holding, Bane was more than happy to show his approval of that idea.

)

It was a little after three when Blake arrived at St. Catherine's, a bounce in his step and a merry tune on his lips as he badged his way in and then asked to speak to one of the counselors who worked there. She'd been in a girls home when they were teenagers, their two institutes occasionally arranging activities together. They hadn't been the best of friends or anything, but they'd also gone to the same high school and kids like them had often formed packs out of survival. Now he and Kat occasionally met through work and the fact that they both volunteered time at their former homes, plus he'd given her a heads up when he'd been sure that Talia was going to end up in St. Catherine's. Hopefully she'd been paying attention like he'd told her to, and she could give him some info about what Talia had been getting up to.

Once upon a time Kat had had multiple facial piercings, three visible tattoos, green hair, and a habit of dressing in badly made homemade clothes. She'd lost about half the earrings, the bright colored hair, and wore store bought clothes, but she was still a serious badass and Blake figured the girls residing in St. Catherine's knew to give her respect or rue the day.

"Kat."

"John. I had a feeling you'd be dropping by today."

"Turned psychic on me?"

"I have many skills." Stopping in front of him she crossed her arms in front of her, cocking her hip in an unconscious show of attitude. "So you figuring that Ms. Ducard is the one that used Emily as a cutting board last night?"

Knowing her well Blake pulled out the Mars bar he'd bought for her on his way in and tossed it to her. "You don't like her."

"You told me I wouldn't. And you were right." Motioning for him to take a seat on a nearby bench Kat dropped into the seat beside him once he was seated. "And I can see why you gave me the heads up, though I'd have figured her out soon enough even without the warning. She wears her masks of sanity and actual emotion well, but you and I have known too many like her not to know what she is. She is better than most, I'll give her that. If she didn't make the hairs on the back of my neck stick up so much I might have questioned my gut more, but she does, especially when she smiles. None of the other girls have complained about her being violent, though a lot have mentioned her snotty, Miss. Priss attitude. But the smart ones who've been around, who have street instincts, they're giving her a wide berth for the most part."

While she enjoyed the first bite of her chocolate bar Blake got straight to the point rather than waste either of their time. "I went to the hospital, I saw what was done to that kid, and I believe absolutely that Talia Tate was and is more than capable of having done that to Emily without an ounce of remorse or hesitation. What do you think?"

"I think I arranged for Ducard to be moved to a new room this morning, a single one without roommates. I don't want anyone helpless and unconscious around that little two faced bitch. And yeah, I'm going to watch her like a hawk to make sure she doesn't get a chance to hack anyone else up while on my watch so no worries there."

"That's good to hear."

"No arguing with me that I shouldn't be calling my charges two faced bitches?"

"Not this time."


	19. Answer Me

Answer Me

Bane was really, really not fond of the female gender for the next week after the first major fight and make-up with Blake. To be more accurate, and somewhat fair to the sex, it was two women that he had a problem with, Mother Nature pissing him off more than Talia but both definitely on his shit list so to speak. Mother Nature had sent snow and more snow, then some nice icy rain and bitter cold to finish it off into one big Winter Hell. The weather had been absolute crap pretty much the whole week, everyone with even a lick of common sense was staying indoors as much as possible. This of course meant, once again, that all his opportunities to see his boyfriend were hindered either by the other man's job or the fact that one or both of them couldn't get to the other with some guarantee that they'd arrive in one piece. And on top of wondering just when Mother Nature was going to cut him a fucking break Bane also found himself worrying about Talia, who was definitely not okay even though for the life of him he couldn't get her to tell him what was going on with her. But there was something in her eyes, in her voice since she'd been put in St. Catherine's that...no, longer than that if he was entirely honest with himself. For a while now there was just something about her that at times that gave him the feeling-it put him on his guard even though he knew she would never harm him. And yet...and yet...

He'd gone to see her the day after he'd learned about that a girl had been attacked at St. Catherine's, they had told him he couldn't come the day before that because of the incident, and there had been something about the way Talia had talked about what had happened to the girl that made him think she knew who the attacker was. He'd asked her that question, thinking to pass the news along to Blake to earn points with his man, but she'd lied to his face and told him she didn't know. Perhaps she was protecting someone, but Talia did not make real friends, and there was no one in that place she feared, she had scoffed at the idea that she might be in danger. The only other possibility was that Talia had teamed up with this psychopath, and that was as disturbing as the one who'd done what had been done to that girl.

Through his sources he'd gotten images of what had been done to a girl named Emily. And it was one thing to break or even kill your enemies, another thing entirely to take such obvious pleasure in the pain and torture of another.

Unfortunately Talia could be as contrary and uncontrollable as Mother Nature, and just as disinclined to listen to him when he tried to order her to do as he wanted. Not that he would ever order Talia to do something per say, but he had spoken strongly with his words being ignored from the looks Talia had given him after their talk.

But focusing on the weather, since at least he never felt bad for cursing it out to the best of his considerable ability, Bane stared out one of the window as he passed by it, cursing the heavy snowfall he could see through it before turning his attention back to the fact that he was searching for Barsad. He'd been told his friend was in the building but thus far he'd failed to locate him. Which wasn't odd in that Barsad was often like a shadow, but one more tiny annoyance he could have really done without. Still, at this point there were only a few other places Barsad could be unless the man was also on the move and they were just missing each other, so Bane was stubbornly refusing to use his phone to get a fixed lock on him.

Finally, at the second last place he'd thought to find him, Bane's ears picked up the sound of Barsad's familiar cursing, rounding a corner just in time to see his friend bad-temperedly kick a wall.

"-and if you're not dead, you assehole cop, I'm going to beat you into wishing you were. Listen to your messages or-to hell with it."

Ending his call Barsad glared down at his cellphone, still unaware of Bane's presence as he grumbled over the question of what the hell he was supposed to do now.

"Are you referring to my assehole cop?"

Bane could see the truth in Barsad's eyes for a split second, as he could see the consideration of telling a lie before his friend did the smart thing and nodded that yes, that was who he'd been cursing out.

"Why are you trying to call him? And what did you mean about 'if you're not dead'?" Bane kept his tone even and calm, but inside his gut was starting to twist with the feeling of dread.

Again he saw that consideration to lie, and then he got the truth. "Word on the street is that a cop was killed a few hours ago, gunned down a few blocks from Blake's cop house. A drive-by, possibly gang related. I can't get a name, and your boyfriend isn't answering his phone. I tried calling his department but they wouldn't give me any information, just the number I already have."

Pulling his own cell out Bane accessed the number for his Robin and then brought it to his ear, his mind full of the hope and prayer that his officer's voice would greet him. And it did, in the form of Blake's recorded voice mail telling him to leave a message.

"He's probably fine, maybe he's in court or in a meeting where he has to have his phone ringer off. Hell, in this weather maybe there's something wrong with his phone and-"

"I'm going to his place."

Immediately Barsad's hand was on his shoulder, digging in in a restraining manner. "You've seen what it's like outside right now, and it's only supposed to get worse by the hour. You're no good to anyone if you end up dead on the road. He'll call back, it's just a matter of waiting."

"No. I'm going. You're in charge until I return."

"Bane."

"Barsad."

"He's not worth dying for."

That he wanted to argue that was something that would have stunned him otherwise and would later, but Bane's thoughts were too focused on the possibility that The Bloods might have killed his Robin, to bother analyzing his reaction to Barsad's latest words. All he could think and see in his mind's eye at that moment was his cop being shot down in the street like a dog for what he'd done the week before, because of his relationship with him. It was those thoughts and ideas that had him knocking Barsad's hand off impatiently before striding around the other man towards the stairs so that he could get out of the building and to Blake's apartment as quickly as possible.

Wisely, Barsad didn't try and stop him this time, though he cursed his friend and the man's cop plenty once he was out of sight.

)

The weather was shit, the visibility getting poorer by the minute, but the all-terrain vehicle had been designed to deal with the worst nature could dole out, at least in theory. And by the grace of God, or more likely sheer dumb luck at that point, Bane made it to within three blocks of Blake's apartment in the car without incident, having called the other man's cell at every stop he'd made in the hopes of getting an answer as to where the hell his cop was and if he was okay. But the only answer he was getting was that damn voice mail message. Parking the car, though he had no idea if it was legal where he was leaving it or even caring, Bane got out and after locking it up determinedly waded through the snow covered streets, the drifts getting increasingly higher the closer he got to his Robin's place as the man's apartment building was on a small side street, which had been neglected by the city workers for a while from the looks of things.

But finally Bane made it to his destination, not even really aware of how cold he was as he forced the door open and basically stumbled into the main lobby, covered in snow and lightheaded with fear. From there it was a slightly unsteady run to the stairs and up them until he'd reached Blake's floor, having no idea what he'd do if the other man wasn't there. Arriving at the correct door Bane banged his fist hard against the wood three times and then waited, heart beating hard and fast in his chest.

And when that got no answer Bane did it again, ears straining for a sound, a light, anything that would-

Hearing something a smile broke over Bane's face, the sound that of familiar steps on the cheap hardwood floors through the thin door. Then came the sounds of the locks being undone, the door opening to reveal Blake dressed in pajama bottoms and an inside out shirt, a questioning look on his face turning into a furious one.

"Bane. What the hell? Are you out of-"

Not letting the other man finish whatever he was about to say Bane just picked Blake up and crushed him up against his chest, the words that greeted his actions like buzzing in his ears, so that Bane had no idea or really cared what his Robin was saying to him. All that was important, all that mattered, was that Officer Robin John Blake was in his arms, warm and alive and smelling fresh from a bath or shower.

But eventually Bane had to put him down, both because Blake kept smacking him in the back to punctuate his orders to be turned loose, and because he was starting to shake, the freezing temperatures he'd had to brave to get there catching up with him now that he wasn't focused solely on the goal of tracking his cop down.

Most of Blake's next words didn't really register either, the other man removing his mask with some comment about it permanently freezing to his face, but Bane was pretty sure over the next few minutes that his intelligence was being called into question several times over before his hand was grabbed and he was suddenly being pulled through the hallways and into the bathroom, which was still steamed up from the bath that Blake had had earlier, the water in the process of draining from the sounds of it.

His hand let go Bane continued to shiver as he watched Blake return the plug to its place and then start the water running again before coming back over to him to start unzipping his winter coat for him, still telling him off for being such a huge idiot and making dire threats about a serious ass kicking that was in his future once he'd defrosted a little.

By the time his coat was off and on the floor Bane managed to interrupt the questioning of his sanity well enough to get a few understandable words out. "Why did-not answer?"

"Why didn't I...? Not answer? You mean my cell? You came all the fucking way out here, risking your life because believe me, I've seen what happens to people who lose control of their cars or end up freezing to death in this fucking weather to know-God dammit, Bane, what the fuck were you thinking?!" Angrily jerking Bane's belt out through the loops in a move that would have impressed Bane normally, Blake gave him a look that suggested he'd like to take the belt to his flesh.

"Why didn't...you answer?"

Now Blake actually rolled his eyes at him. "Did you stop to think that in this weather calls might not get through? Huh? Though in this case mine is wrecked, but still, if it weren't for the fact that I'd break my hand I'd punch you so hard right now. Even most children have the sense to-"

"A cop was killed."

"What?" Fingers stilling on the buttons of Bane's pants Blake looked at him in confusion, the furious color that had brightened his cheeks draining away.

"A cop died. I thought you-you didn't answer."

"Oh. Oh fuck you thought-you thought it was me. That's why you-fuck I'm-dammit." Now it was Blake's arms coming around him to hold him tight for a moment while he apologized for yelling at him. And then Blake was pulling away, though he stayed close as he explained that he'd fallen on ice that morning and crushed his cell under his weight when he'd hit concrete. He hadn't been able to get a replacement because it had seemed safer to come home than try and find a store to buy a new one. "The weather was supposed to get worse and-can I borrow your cell? Find out-find out who it was and let Father Riley know I'm alright in case he gets the news too."

Reaching into his pocket Bane held out his phone.

"Thanks. Now finish undressing and get into that tub, you need to warm up as fast as possible."

Deciding that that was a good idea Bane went to work shucking the rest of his clothes off, listening with half an ear as Blake talked to someone, his expression not betraying any emotion now, all business. And then Robin was talking to the priest who had looked after him during his teens, Blake's voice and expression softening, the conversation just as brief as the other one, but with the promise to come to the boy's home first chance he got. The phone wasn't his, but he'd get a new one soon.

Having gotten into the tub and turned off the water by the time the phone calls were done, Bane simply lay there and closed his eyes, feeling the heat of the water soaking into his body, warming it for him. He only opened them again when he sensed and felt Blake take a seat on the rim of the tub, meeting the other man's gaze as he smiled back at him.

"I put your phone on the counter. How are you feeling?"

"I was able to use the car most of the way. I was only in the cold for a few blocks."

"Which is more than enough time to get frostbite."

Since he couldn't technically argue with that Bane instead lifted each limb in turn to prove that his fingers and toes were in working order, their color good as well. Once the lack of permanent injury was made clear Bane changed the subject, asking if Blake had known the cop who'd been killed. He hated cops in general, but losing a comrade was not an easy thing.

"No. Or at least I don't think we ever worked together. There's no leads yet who's responsible, but we'll find the bastards soon enough. You don't kill a cop and get away with it." Shaking his head at the very idea Blake met Bane's eyes for a moment and then looked away, this not being a topic he wanted to discuss either, it seemed. So instead they simply slipped into comfortable since for a while, both very glad the other wasn't a human Popsicle in a snowbank somewhere or worse.

"I still can't believe that you came all this way-does Barsad know?" Blake finally asked, giving Bane his full attention again. "He's going to be as pissed off with you as I was when he finds out."

"He knows. I should call and tell him I got here without injury."

"No shit." Shaking his head Blake got up from hit seated position, retrieved the phone, and then told Bane he'd let them yell at each other in peace while he made Bane some soup to finish off the warming up process. He'd already eaten, but he figured he had enough room for a bowl too.

"Wait a minute."

With a raised eyebrow Blake stood with his back against the bathroom door, his gaze asking why he needed to stay put. But Bane's attention was on the phone once he was sure that his Robin really was staying put, his fingers somewhat clumsily typing out a quick text to Barsad letting him know that he was at Blake's and everything was fine. His fingers were too damn big for the keys sometimes, but this way he didn't have to fight with Barsad about coming here all over again. He had something else he'd much rather be doing.

Message sent Bane set it on the floor and out of the way, unplugging the tub stopper before getting to his feet. Well aware of the eyes that were now running over his wet and naked body Bane simply turned his attention to grabbing a towel and drying off, knowing already how much his cop loved his body despite all the scar tissue that covered the muscles that flexed reflexively under his bird's gaze.

When he'd finished the task Bane hung the wet tower over the shower rod and then walked over to where Blake was still waiting for him, the man's eyes already dark with desire and a knowledge of what they were going to be getting up to, which had nothing to do with soup.

"I know a better way for us to get warm."

Both Blake's dimples flashed into view. "Yeah. Me too."


	20. Storms A Brewing

Storms A Brewing

It briefly occurred to Blake, just for a moment, that he could pretend that that he was still thinking about getting some soup into Bane's stomach just to mess with the teenager. But given that Bane had braved a near blizzard to be with him Blake let the opportunity go and instead simply held his hand out for Bane to take, linking their fingers together when it was taken. Heading out of the room he led the way to his bedroom, very thankful that he'd put an electric blanket on under the covers so that it wouldn't be cold when they got in it.

Not that they would have been cold for long.

Letting go of Bane's hand once they'd reached their destination and he'd flipped on the light, Blake linked his arms around the teenager's neck and tilted his head to the side, wanting to get full access to the mouth descending to meet his own as they moved further into the room. God but he loved how plush and sexy Bane's mouth was because seriously, it had been made for kissing. Heck, if it weren't for the fact that once they were in his warm bed they'd be too busy having sex to think clearly, he'd have been fine with doing nothing but kissing his boyfriend all night long.

But yeah, sex was a must at this point.

Quite happy to lower his arms to help when Bane started tugging his shirt up, Blake rolled his eyes when Bane made the observation that he'd put it on inside out.

"I was sort of in a hurry to get the door." Up and over went his shirt, and deciding to be helpful Blake pushed down his pajama bottoms enough that they pooled at his feet, making it easy for him to kick them off and out of his way. And since his room really wasn't that warm, and he wasn't nearly as tough as Bane who didn't even have goosebumps despite being buck naked, Blake took the necessary steps and then got under the covers as quickly as possible, holding them up in a belated invitation for Bane to join him.

The chuckle Bane had over it wasn't appreciated, but when he joined him under the covers, Bane settling on top of him, Blake was ready to forgive and forget as he wrapped his arms around Bane's neck again. In fact, he started rolling his hips in a rhythmic motion to show his appreciation for the lips Bane was pressing against his neck now, liking that quite a lot.

Dropping his head to the other side when Bane bit the junction where his shoulder met his neck, damn but that felt good, Blake was more than happy to continue to rub up against Bane when it got that response from the incredibly muscled body surging against his own in perfect synchronization. Oh yeah, they definitely had rubbing off against each other down to a science.

Tussling a little, because it wouldn't be nearly as much fun if he just let Bane have his wicked way with him so easily, they were soon on their sides while they made out, hands getting busy as they moved over the other's side, backs, and in Bane's hand's case his ass, which Blake didn't mind at all and verbally encouraged. They both knew his rear was finally going to see some serious action, so Bane was welcome to learn the territory thoroughly before invading.

That idea had Blake snickering against Bane's mouth, though he quickly forgot about his amusing thought because Bane's fingers were moving lower and that felt really, really good. He needed to verbally and physically encourage that now.

Unfortunately Bane's interest moved back up eventually, and Blake was so wrapped up in the sensations he'd just been feeling below the waist that he completely missed the danger until it was too late, Bane's fingers already brushing against the spot that had him yelping and squirming like a little girl as he gasped out that he was ticklish there.

"Really ticklish?"

"Really ticklish." He confirmed before he starting up the kissing again in the hopes of distracting Bane from using his ticklish side against him. Not that this was the time or place for a tickle attack, but maybe if the sex was really, really good that was all Bane would remember about it, and completely forget about his side and therefore never used it against him.

And his plan worked beautifully if Blake did say so himself, since moments later he found himself back on his back with Bane rutting against him very enthusiastically, telling him how he was going to spend the whole night fucking him and making him his.

"Sure you're up to that, Kid? I've got plans for you too." He deliberately raked his nails over Bane's ass just to worry him a little.

Bane's retaliation, attacking his sides mercilessly, caught Blake completely by surprise, not that he had time to be shocked about suddenly being under a tickle attack as he laughed, cursed, and squirmed like a worm on a hook as he tried and utterly failed to get away from Bane's fingers. All he did, in fact, was wear himself out so that within minutes he was lying underneath Bane, too busy trying to get air into his lungs to breath to even think about fighting back.

"What…the…hell?"

The grin on Bane's face said it all before the teenager did. "Now you can just lie there like a good boy."

Realizing that the tickle attack had been Bane's way of tiring him out so that he could do as he liked without any real resistance, Blake wasn't scared or worried. He was impressed, actually. "You really are…an evil genius… aren't you?"

"So I've been telling you."

Watching Bane get up and shift over to open up the drawer where the lube and condoms were kept, Blake chuckled a little as he spread his legs open and planted his feet, more than ready when Bane's lubed fingers started circling his entrance.

"Can you take two?"

"Hell yes."

Saying Bane's name on a sigh of pleasure as the fingers breached him and started pumping in and out, Blake figured he really would just let Bane do all the work and simply lay back and enjoy, his lashes fluttering closed as his world devolved to the two fingers inside of him, twisting and brushing up against nerve endings that were feeling very, very good at the moment. His erection had gone south during the tickle fight, but was definitely now back with a fucking vengeance as he dug his fingers into the sheets like they were his anchor in the storm while he moved into those fingers with timed precision.

The third finger Bane added after a while was just as welcome, Blake enjoying the slight burn of the stretch for a while before he opened his mouth with the intention of suggesting a little more lube be added. What came out of his mouth was a couple of curse words and sounds of outrage though, because Bane's fingers had just slipped out of his body and he for damn sure wanted them where they'd been.

"Hush."

Hush? Bane wanted him to hush? Oh he'd hush up all right. He'd hush Bane up by-oh. Well okay then, Blake thought as he saw what Bane was now applying lube too. A lot of lube, thank God, because Bane's erection was going to be a bitch to take now that he was seeing it at full mast so to speak. And while he couldn't wait to find out how good it was going to feel when he was finally in, the process of taking it was going to be a little on the hard side, pun intended.

But eager to take it, pain and all, Blake was panting for it by the time Bane had settled between his legs, Blake lifting them up farther to encourage Bane to take him sooner rather than later. And looking into Bane's eyes, because he sure as hell wasn't missing the view, Blake could see the hint of nerves that had him smiling a little in understanding.

Motioning for Bane to come closer Blake threw himself into kissing Bane with all the skill and need he had, conveying through that how much he wanted and trusted Bane. Reassuring him that this was going to be amazing, they both knew it. Could feel it every time they kissed or touched.

When Bane pulled back Blake let him, and relaxing to the best if his ability watched as Bane took himself in hand and guided his erection to where it was supposed to go, Blake putting all his focus now on taking it as Bane breached his entrance oh so slowly, stopping when just the head was in. "Bane…?"

"Are you ready?"

"YES!"

Okay, maybe not as ready as he'd thought was Blake's next thought as he found himself stretched to full capacity as Bane thrusted in, though that was pretty much his last cognitive thought before instinct and lust took over, telling his body to forget about what it could and couldn't handle because the end result was going to be worth every hard inch that was now pumping in and out of his body. Reaching between them to give his mind something else to concentrate on and enjoy, Blake focused on jerking himself off in time with Bane's thrusts, knowing just how to do it to so that the twin pleasures of what he and Bane were doing melded together to drive him that much closer to the edge they were both aiming for.

As they learned how to fit their bodies together this way Bane was quiet except for the hard breathing and the sounds of their flesh slapping up against each other as they moved into each other. Blake was a little more vocal, but for the most part he was too busy trying to get air into his lungs enough to pant and curse to form a sentence.

Minutes dragged by and Blake could see that Bane was getting closer and closer to his climax, but the teenager was refusing to give in and he didn't have to be a genius too to know that Bane was probably holding out for his sake.

"Go ahead and come, I'll be right after you."

"You first."

Shaking his head over the strain and determination in Bane's voice, Blake tried again. "Come. I'm almost there too and feeling you come inside me, that will send me right over." And to make sure Bane didn't keep trying to be all manly about it Blake lifted his head and told Bane just how big and hot and good he felt inside of him, how he wanted to squeeze him dry and milk him hard so that he was full-

Yeah, that did it.

And as promised he wasn't far behind, and yes, the climax was definitely worth the wait so to speak.

And how.

)

Waking up with his head on Bane's shoulder and his arm stretched possessively across the teenager's chest the next morning, Blake considered feeling bad about the fact that he'd gone all the way with a nineteen year old, but damn, the sex had just been too good for him to regret it. And he was looking forward to a repeat of the night before as soon as possible, which reminded him that he really should get his ass out of bed and head over to his window to get a look outside to see if he was going to work or not. His street was notorious for being forgotten or 'accidentally' overlooked by the snowplows, and depending on how bad it was he might have to call in.

Forcing himself out from under the warm covers and even warmer Bane, damn but the kid radiated serious body heat, Blake slipped on his pajama bottoms and then decided to delay learning that he hadn't been snowed in with Bane, because he just wasn't that lucky. So instead he shuffled into his bathroom to take care of business and brush his teeth, then with much steadier strides re-entered his bedroom and walked over to his window, eyes widening comically when he got a look at what Mother Nature had been up to while he and Bane had been rolling around naked.

"Holy shit and fuck me."

Running a hand through his hair as he processed what he was seeing, Blake was pretty sure that not only was he not going to work that day, but it might be a couple of days at least before he was going anywhere outdoors. If his street was looking like a scene out of 'The Day After Tomorrow' then even the main streets had to be looking pretty damn bad. He'd never seen it looking this bad before…how the hell had he not noticed all that snow coming down during the night? It had to have stormed like crazy.

Looking back towards the bed Blake grinned. "Damn you're good."

"Yes. Now come back to bed."

Since that sounded like a good idea, especially now that he knew that Bane was awake too, Blake hurried over to get back under the covers and up against Bane's side to return to his earlier position. "Looks like you're snowed in with me."

"How bad is it?"

"Let's just say that we can both be really, really glad that I anticipated this possibly happening and stocked up on non-perishables that will keep us fed for a while. If the electricity goes…we generate enough heat that I'm not too worried."

A pause. "Given your bad habits when it comes to grocery shopping that first part doesn't reassure me as much as the validity of the second statement."

Snorting, he should have seen that coming, Blake let it go and instead asked if he could borrow Bane's cell phone again to call into work to let them know he wasn't going to be in later. His lieutenant was aware that bad storms usually meant he wasn't coming in, but he still wanted to give his boss the heads up anyway, especially since he was currently in the ass's bad books for his unofficial sting operation.

Receiving Bane's go ahead Blake took the cell when Bane retrieved it for him, putting in a quick call to his division to cover himself. Not surprisingly he was far from the only one who wouldn't be making it in, apparently the whole city had been hit hard and everything was pretty much at a standstill for the moment. That wouldn't last long of course, and people did incredibly stupid things when they were cooped up indoors against their wills, but for now things were calm enough.

Bases covered at work now Blake rolled over to put the cell away before rolling back over to find that Bane had shifted onto his side so that they were now chest to chest. Not minding the change one little bit either, especially since he was even warmer this way, Blake leaned in for a kiss, his hand coming up to stroke Bane's cheek.

The difference in skin textures had him drawing back, reminding him that while he'd felt the differences plenty of times at this point he'd always either been too busy making out with Bane or unable to see clearly enough to really get a sense of what was causing the differences. And looking at them Blake could see that a fair amount of them were old wounds, but some of them were obviously from the mask, where it had dug in and rubbed the skin the wrong way for too long.

"It's a crime, messing up this pretty face of yours."

"It's not pretty."

"It was." Grinning, Blake leaned in to brush their lips together again. "And still is, mostly."

Laughing when Bane rolled him onto his back and started kissing him with a great deal more enthusiasm, that was a pretty good way to shut him up, Blake wrapped his arms around Bane's neck to keep him in place while he returned the heated kissing. He'd bug him about it later.

)

A couple hours later they had just finished making themselves some bacon and eggs when the electricity went out, which was good timing when it came to the food but bad news for them since it was going to get damn cold depending on how long it took to get the heat back on. Wisely they both quickly scarfed down their breakfast and then turned their attention to more practical matters, Blake going to the closet to retrieve the large duffel bag he kept there which was stocked for emergencies. Emptying it out to look everything over Blake knew that the big problem was going to be finding extra clothes for Bane to wear since layers were going to be key. Well that and the urge to get naked was going to be hard to ignore, even if they had to risk frostbite in the process, Blake silently acknowledged with a small grin.

Bane's hand stroked over his hair as he commented that he'd done well to prepare for this possibility.

"Thanks. The big problem will be all the people that aren't prepared for this. I gave them all a list of stuff they needed to get and have on hand in case this happened, but there are plenty of idiots in this building who probably crumpled up the notices and didn't even read them."

"You expect them to come to you for help."

"Well they sure as hell better. But I'll go to them first, let them all know I'm here if they need me. Remind some of the stupider ones that lighting fires in garbage bins or using gas heaters without any concern for carbon monoxide poisoning are bad ideas. Hopefully the electricity won't be off for too long, that's usually not a problem for us in the long run. Its people going stir crazy I'm more worried about."

Bane shook his head. "And you told your lieutenant you wouldn't be working today."

"Yeah, well, taking care of people is my job." Leaning in Blake stole a quick kiss before giving Bane a wide grin that had his dimples flashing. "But don't worry, keeping you nice and warm is my number one priority. I promise."


	21. At Blake's Place

At Blake's Place

After they'd made sure that they were well stocked when it came to supplies Blake announced that he was going to head out and start making the rounds to make sure that everyone knew he was available if they needed help or had safety questions. He left it open to Bane whether he wanted to come or not, and Bane didn't hesitate to make it clear that he was coming with him. People tended to behave even more erratically and violently than normal when confined in small spaces, so Bane wanted a good idea of who they would be dealing with and where they would be coming from should something happen. That Blake didn't even argue that that was a possibility made Bane all the more determined to come, and so he followed the older man out of the apartment and walked side by side with him down the hallway to the first door, wanting everyone they met to know that if they meant his cop's harm they'd have to get through him first.

It didn't even surprise Bane that everyone that came to the door in response to his knocking obviously recognized Blake, though from the looks that some of them gave his lover Bane determined that they weren't terribly fond of him. Of course those were the people that made his own instincts bristle a little, so Bane figured Blake had either arrested some of these people at one point or had at least threatened them with incarceration if they didn't toe the line and watch themselves. But just as many of his bird's neighbors appeared very relieved to see that Blake was in the building with them, with a few indifferent one way or another. Two doors were slammed in their faces without any chance for conversation, but Blake said they probably wouldn't have to worry about them.

The first apartment that really interested Bane belonged to a woman who had three children, one of whom was only an infant. The woman, though she looked like she'd been just a girl not too long ago, looked very worn around the edges, the defensive way she held herself and the slightly fearful looks she aimed in his direction arousing his curiosity. It was after they left and were on their way to the next floor that Blake explained that the woman was a recovering drug addict who'd gotten clean after a john had beat her half to death and insured a long hospital stay. She'd managed to get her two kids back from foster care, gotten knocked up by a boyfriend who'd run as soon as he got the news, and now-well she was doing her best but it wasn't easy. The oldest child had a key to his apartment, Blake confided, so that if the kids got to be too much for her she could send them to his place where they'd be safe until she was up to looking after them.

When he'd told his little bird how kind he thought that was Blake just shrugged, stating that it was the least he could do to help her out. Plus it wasn't like he had anything worth stealing anyway if she were to get ahold of the key and needed money for a fix. That the kids had a safe place to go was all that mattered.

Bane was still shaking his head over that, he was determined to knock some more sense into his cop's head when it came to the man's personal safety, when they arrived at the door of the tenant Blake thought could provide him with some extra clothes to borrow.

And they were certainly big enough, though the man they belonged to was so obese Bane mentally hoped that the man hadn't adequately stocked up for a possible snow in food wise and therefore would lose a few pounds before the snow cleared up. It would do the man some good. When he told his bird that Robin laughed and shook his head, his tone amused as he explained that Fred's cupboards were always bursting with junk food and that the man's kitchen was probably Bane's idea of his worst nightmare.

"That would not be my worst nightmare."

"True enough. But it's pretty bad, believe me. Even my teeth hurt seeing all that sugary crap he loves so much sometimes. Nice guy though."

Since the man had been nice enough to lend him clothes, and had spoken in a friendly manner to both of them, Bane was willing to believe both those statements to be true. Especially since Fred had been wearing a Cookie Monster sweatshirt when he'd opened the door to them.

The apartment they saved for last belonged to Blake's favorite tenant, an elderly lady that had apparently been responsible for the quilt his little bird had gifted to him. Curious about her, as well as wanting to make a good first impression since she was important to Blake, Bane couldn't quite hide his surprise at her greeting.

"Hello, John. And this must be the bad boy you were telling me about."

"Hi, Rosie. This is Bane. Bane, this is Rosie."

"Nice to meet you, young man. I had a feeling you'd convince him to give you a chance." Giving him a wink she held out a hand to him, Bane taking it automatically to shake before letting her draw him further into her apartment since she announced that they just had to see the quilt she was working on. Why he'd taken the hand so easily he wasn't sure, but she was obvious no physical match for him and there was something…soothing about her presence. It wasn't a weak or particularly motherly one, but calming nonetheless. Reassuring.

The blanket she brought him over to see had his lips curving into a grin, the large blocks of material on the top having once been T-shirts with various slogans and sayings on them. Most of them appealed to him in their snarkiness, especially since none of them had to do with drinking or picking up women. Not that there was anything intrinsically wrong with either activity, but such slogans tended to be vulgar or incredibly stupid in his opinion.

"A couple of those shirts were John's that he donated to the cause. The boy's hard on his clothes."

Looking over at his Robin, who was rolling his eyes in Rosie's direction, Bane asked which of the shirts had once been his.

Coming over Blake stood at his side, those big brown cop eyes scanning the quilt before picking out the two in question.

'I'm Out of Bed and Dressed, What More Do You Want?'

'Some People Are Only Alive Because It's Illegal To Shoot Them'

"Interesting choice for a cop." Pointing at the last one Bane was amused, though it was the first shirt he was sorry was no longer in his bird's possession. He would have been happy to use it as a springboard for suggestions as to what more he could want.

"Hey, I'm all about truth." Blake grinned as he said it, giving Bane a hip check that he barely felt at all. "The first one is my favorite though. It took me forever to find another one to replace it."

It was Rosie's turn to do the eyes roll before she explained to Bane why. "There's a perv upstairs who never fails to offer John suggestions about what else he wants when he sees him wearing it."

"He's not that bad a guy. He's just a really good example of why brilliant university students shouldn't get hooked on marijuana and ruin their brains in the process. He's harmless, Bane." Blake added, moving in a little closer. Rosie just hates him because he can be a real chauvinist ass sometimes. Not that she doesn't put him in his place whenever she gets the chance."

Damn right I do."

"Good."

"Oh I do like this one." Giving Bane a pleased look Rosie asked if they'd like some sassafras tea. She'd been about to poor herself a glass when they'd knocked. She have offered them something hot to warm them up but that wasn't possible, so they'd go somewhat healthy instead.

Both men agreeing that that would be great, Bane and Blake took the seats she told them to sit in before she headed to her kitchen to get them all a drink.

"I like her."

"It's impossible not to."

Sharing smiles the two settled in for a nice visit, sure that they'd be entertained.

)

Leaving Rosie with the promise that they'd be by to check on her later, just in case she needed something, Bane was happy to walk back up to Blake's apartment, since that meant they'd be alone again. He had enjoyed their time with Rosie, who was quite the firecracker and had been happy to tell him all sorts of stories about Blake, but he also didn't want to waste the time they had together now either. Later, when the snow was cleared and they could leave the building reality would intrude, with jobs to return to and separate apartments the other didn't live in. What time they could be alone was precious.

With that thought circling his head over and over again in an unending loop, Bane waited until they were both through the door and it was locked before he crowded his lover back against the wall and applied himself to undoing the other man's pants, not about to waste a second now that he had Robin all to himself.

"Bane?"

"Every wall in your apartment, right?" Bane watched as understanding washed over Blake's face, the eyes darkening and dilating in reaction. The getting harder by the second erection he discovered once he had his bird's pants open further cemented what was going to happen in both their minds, Blake's jerky nod the final confirmation so to speak.

Given the cool temperature of the hallway thanks to the lack of working heaters, most of their clothing had to stay on and Blake would have to bear the worst of it given that they needed to remove his pants and underwear for this to work, but together they did away with those articles of clothing in tandem, their eagerness obvious to the other and completing blocking the lack of heat in the room from their minds. They were plenty warm actually, thank you very much.

Growling low in his throat when Blake turned his attention to shoving down his sweatpants enough to grip the erection that was already hard and dripping, Bane allowed himself to be stroked and teased for a couple heartbeats and then he grabbed each of his bird's hands and put one on either side of his shoulders.

"Push yourself up so that your legs are around my waist."

"Sure you're up to handling my weight?" Blake teased after making a pleased sound in the back of his throat, his fingers flexing into the ridges of muscle under hands in obvious preparation for following Bane's orders. "Dropping me will lose you points."

"Up."

Proving the strength Bane had become intimately acquainted with recently, Blake did as asked, those long, long legs wrapping tight around his hips while Bane's hands cupped the detective's ass to help steady him just in case. Once he was sure that between the wall and his bird's grip on him Robin would stay right where he wanted him Bane smiled and then concentrated on kissing the lips that eagerly moved against his own, all the while rubbing their hips and therefore their erections together to get them even warmer.

It was Blake who finally broke off the kissing minutes later to breathlessly point out that they needed to get the lube from the bedroom ASAP. He wanted to be fucked good and proper and he wanted that now.

Shudder in reaction, the blunt wording of Blake's orders making him that much harder, Bane growled back his response. "It's in my pocket."

"Oh really?" Looking very pleased and well kissed, Blake wrapped one arm securely around Bane's neck while reaching down with the other, easily retrieving the nearly empty container of lube that Bane had stashed in his pocket before they'd left for just this occasion.

Bane shook his head when Blake offered it to him. "No. You open yourself up for me. I'm busy."

And so saying Bane lowered his head to continue where he'd left off, the fact that Blake's mouth had dropped open on a low moan of surprised approval of that plan making it that much deeper and forceful a kiss. Shifting his fingers so that his overly large hands could better grip the firm ass he held, Bane helpfully pushed the cheeks apart so that his bird's fingers could get to work opening himself up as quickly as possible in the position he was currently in.

Their kissing repeatedly halted when Robin's knowledgeable fingers moved just right inside of him, his bird both vocal and very eager to get the preparation over as quickly as possible, Bane didn't mind the temporary interruptions in the least since he loved the sounds his lover made. Really, it was all he could do to wait until Robin told him he was ready, his control definitely strained more than a little by the time Blake removed his fingers, braced both hands on Bane's shoulders, and then in a very sexy voice told him in no uncertain terms to fuck him. More than happy to Bane easily shifting one hand over to take more of his bird's weight so that he could use his other hand to line his erection up and then thrust in hard to claim what was his.

Returning his hands to their earlier position of massaging Robin's ass once he was buried deep inside of it Bane growled at his cop, ordering him not to hold onto his shoulders. Instead he told his lover to use his hands to push against the wall so that he could fuck him that much harder, Bane smiling fiercely when Blake hastened to comply. And they both immediately felt the difference with the next few thrusts as Blake pushed back against the wall, the two groaning their pleasure and exercising all their strength to make each meeting of their bodies that much more physical and pleasurable.

The way Blake's eyes were glued to his arms and upper chest, and the obvious pleasure his bird got from seeing his muscles bulge and flex, made Bane see himself through Robin's dark eyes as they got darker and more glassy by the second, making him feel like the strongest, more desirable man in the world. It made him that much harder and determined to complete the man's Wall challenge even if it killed them.

Sweat blooming on both their skins in reaction to the heat they were producing now, you would never know the electricity was off the way they were feeling, neither Blake nor Bane lasted long with Blake jerking himself off in the end and Bane insuring that the man's back would be bluish purple in the morning from being thoroughly and completely fucked up against the wall until he was too busy coming to think about anything else.

They were both pleased with their first attempt at the Wall challenge.

)

A few hours later the electricity was on, three walls had been properly christened so to speak, and they were both passed out on Robin's bed with no intention of moving any time soon. Or at least Bane didn't have any intention of moving again for at least a couple of hours, Blake apparently having other ideas which made absolutely no sense since Bane was very aware that the other man had to be even more tuckered out than he was. Not to mention sore since he'd been a little too enthusiastic the first time, though his cop had brushed off his apologies and then jumped him just to prove otherwise.

But as he watched Blake threw off the covers and started to very carefully shift over, though the arm Bane wrapped around him stopped him.

"Where are you going?"

"On the very possible chance that the electricity will go off sooner rather than later I'm going to fill the tub up with hot water now and soak for a bit." The grin Blake shot him over his shoulder was filled with sexy promises. "We've got more walls to cover after all."

Liking that statement, a lot, Bane still didn't like why his Robin needed to soak his muscles and because of that decided that he should be the one to draw the bath while his lover stayed warm under the covers until the bath was ready.

"It's fine. I can-"

"Stay in bed. I've got this."

Tugging and wrestling Blake back under the covers, then tucking them in around his lover's body before getting up himself to see about the bath water.

"You have one sexy ass if I haven't mentioned that before."

Shaking his head over that amused observation, Bane didn't bother to dignify it with a response since his bird was in possession of a far superior ass in his own opinion. Instead he concentrated on getting to the bathroom and then drawing the bath as promised, the hot water feeling good as it ran through his fingers on the way into the tub. He found it soothing as well, both simply because the water was clean and warm and because he was filling the tub for his lover, and that was not something he'd ever thought he'd be doing.

He cared about his cop, wanted to take care of him with a fierceness that should have surprised him but didn't since he'd pretty much had these feelings since he'd met Robin and realized what sort of man he was dealing with. The feelings were getting stronger in ratio with his understanding that it was okay to feel this way, at least for now, because he was involved with someone who would not only never hurt him, but wouldn't use him either. Because from the start his bird had made it clear how he felt about Talia and his desire to see her jailed, and had never demanded information from him about his criminal activities or even attempted to bug him or his apartment when he'd been over to visit. He'd checked.

This was the first time he'd had someone in his life who hadn't been drawn to him for his ability to protect and care for them…and that only made him want to protect and care for Robin more.


	22. That's Life

That's Life

Amused when Bane insisted on carrying him to the bathtub, not that he minded, Blake was content to wrap his arms around the teenager's neck and enjoy the ride while nibbling on Bane's neck since it was there and all sexy smelling. Plus it really was sweet that Bane had wanted to go to the trouble of running the bath for him rather than just stay in bed like he'd told him he could. Most would have, or if they had insisted on doing the bath thing for him they would have done it to earn brownie points with him. Bane had insisted just because, and that earned him extra, extra points.

Making a low sound of pleasure as he was set into the water Blake took a moment to just close his eyes and enjoy it. "It's too bad my tub's too small or I'd invite you in with me."

"I would like that, but the whole point is for you to rest and relax."

"True. You're tub is certainly big enough." He'd gone into the bathroom to make sure the wind and his hat hadn't done something weird with his hair when he'd had dinner at Bane's place, and had seen the tub then. To say he had tub envy was an understatement. "And if I were to come to your gym to get into better shape the way you keep saying I need to, it would be your responsibility to take care of me afterwards. Do you give good full body massages?"

Chuckling Bane moved to sit further down on the tub and then asked him to raise a foot.

Just to be a brat Blake made his response sound childish and pathetic. "But my feet like where they are."

"Up to you, Little Bird."

Scowling at the reference to his first name, being call Robin was bad enough, Blake gave some serious thought to flicking Bane with water while raising his foot, but restrained himself since the last thing he wanted was Bane getting sick at this point. Not only would that seriously interfere with the wall goal, but he was going to go out on a limb and bet Bane was a real pain in the ass when sick.

So he very daintily raised his foot to see what Bane would do, his eyes almost rolling back in his head moments later when Bane's very strong and skillful fingers used pressure points to make him melt quite happily into a warm puddle. To say he was quite happy to lift his other foot when Bane had finished pleasuring the first one was a massive understatement.

"Oh I am going to reward you so well for this, serious."

"There's no need."

"Oh believe me, there's a need. A lot of needs and wants really, where you're concerned. You have no idea."

The look in Bane's eyes became decidedly predatory, which suited Blake just fine as he deliberately licked his lips for emphasis since he liked his body underwater too much at the moment to flash some skin.

When Bane set his foot back into the water Blake couldn't help but pout in protest, especially since that foot hadn't gotten nearly as much attention as the other one and that just wasn't fair. But Bane just shook his head at him and getting up from his seat walked over to steal a long, decidedly hot kiss before straightening up and announcing that he'd be waiting in the bedroom once Blake was done soaking.

Since he was no doubt a lot warmer than Bane was at the moment, and he really did need to soak if he was going to be up to actively participating in the night's future festivities, Blake made himself not argue and instead promised to be as quick as possible.

"Take your time."

Watching Bane leave the room, the man really did have a nice ass, Blake sighed and then dunked his head underwater, thinking to himself that he really was in over his head in more ways than one when it came to Bane and what they were doing together. Because right now he had a really bad feeling that if things continued to progress between them the way he thought they would…he was going to end up fighting tooth and nail to keep the nineteen year old hoodlum in his life and in his bed.

Lord help him.

)

Hours later, after more sex which had put him in a much happier frame of mind, Blake lay in bed and thought with some amusement that the present relationship he was in had all began when he'd gotten it into his head to play doctor where Bane was concerned. Now here they were, playing doctor over and over again to the point where Blake was pretty sure that if need be he could probably list Bane's scars and personal measurements without exercising much brain power. Of course if Bane kept insisting on fucking his brains out to the point where he wasn't capable of much more than babbling he wouldn't be able to give that info soon. If so…brain loss well worth it.

Smiling into the darkness at the thought Blake couldn't help but do a happy wiggle against Bane's chest, pleased when the arm Bane had laid over him to keep him close tightened to insure he wasn't going anywhere. He loved it when he found a lover who was also a fellow cuddler. He didn't have strong feelings when it came to public displays affection as long as no laws were broken, but guys who didn't like to cuddle in bed with him were definitely a problem in his books. Or at least it was definitely a check in the minus column, especially if the guy in question was willing to cuddle if bribed but sucked at the whole cuddling thing.

Bane was excellent at it, and as a bonus seemed to want to stay as close to him as possible, no bribe necessary. And while part of that might be the fact that the electricity was being sporadic, which meant the heaters weren't working consistently, Blake was pretty sure Bane would still be keeping him close as long as they were together. At least in bed. He had a feeling that unless provoked Bane wasn't a PDA type.

Amused at the mental images his brain formed of various reactions Bane might have if he were to be unusual amorous on the street towards him Blake still had a smile on his face as he started to drift off again, his eyes closing for the last time when the quiet night was obliterated by the sound of someone very unhappy crying at the top of their lungs.

Feeling Bane jerk awake against him Blake patted the other man's hand. "It's the baby. Stay here."

Since the heat situation had necessitated that clothes were put back on between bouts of their marathon sex Blake didn't have to worry about being dressed as he slid out of the bed, motioning Bane to just stay where he was when the teenager moved to come with him anyway. There wasn't a heck of a lot he could do after all.

"Come back after."

"Wild horses couldn't keep me away." Well actually they probably could since, as a city boy, he'd never seen wild horses or many tame ones for that matter. Ergo he'd probably get distracted and stare at them for a while, but that definitely wasn't a herd of equestrians crying so the issue was mote. Yeah…he was tired and needed sleep.

Amused at himself and very conscious of the fact that he was not only mentally tired but physically, Blake prayed for strength all the way down the hallway to meet the child and baby who'd been coming to him.

"She won't stop crying. Mom started throwing stuff."

Taking the baby Blake cuddled the wailing infant against his chest while asking where the boy's other sister was. That she hadn't come too was reassuring, but he didn't like the idea that Katelyn had been left alone if her mother was that upset.

"She stayed to help Mom clean up the mess. Will you take Tasha for a bit?"

"No problem. I've got this. Go back upstairs and you can come pick the kiddo up in the morning, okay?"

The hallway was too dark for him to actually see, but Blake didn't doubt the boy was wearing the far too adult expression the kid always wore when faced with this sort of situation. Shawn didn't like having to ask for help or admitting that he couldn't take care of his family young as he was. Plus the kid probably felt guilty at the idea of being happy at the thought of unloading his very unhappy little sister on someone else for a while and getting some decent sleep.

"I'll…I'll come early to get her."

Not arguing Blake went along with the idea while secretly hoping the kid would sleep in a little, walking Shawn back the way he'd come and locking the door behind the kid before heading to the kitchen, his ears already ringing painfully to signal the headache Tasha was going to give him in spades if he didn't get her progressively louder crying taken care of. Thankfully foster care had had the benefit of exposing him to children of all ages, and taking Tasha's into consideration Blake turned the stove light on before washing the hand that he then used to gently stroke a finger along the baby's gum lines.

"Teeth are a bitch." He told the baby, who cried big fat tears in absolute agreement. "I nearly OD'd myself a few times when it came to taking pain meds a few years back when part of a tooth broke off in the back and it got infected. Give me a broken bone any day, right? Plus don't even get me started on what those sadists dentists charge."

"Pain medications carry instructions that are meant to be followed. That's why they're printed on the bottles."

Rolling his eyes and not really surprised that Bane hadn't listened, Blake didn't bother to answer as he turned his attention to retrieving some clean dish clothes, which he got wet and then took over to the fridge, laying them out there before reaching into one of the bottom drawers to pull out a teething ring, which he stuck in the baby's mouth.

A couple sucks and the crying started to decrease in volume, thank God.

"She's teething?"

"Yup. I figured it would be happening sooner than later so I've been keeping one of those in the fridge just in case. There's nothing worse than being unprepared when it comes to babies. They're hard enough to handle as is, much less when they're sick or hurting."

"Yes. You're good with children."

Grinning, Blake wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, knowing the light from the stove would be enough for Bane to see as he teased. "Well I'm hoping to someday have a whole house full of them so yeah, I better be."

Poignant pause, then a repeat of the term 'whole house full of them' in a questioning tone of voice.

Letting the question hang for a moment or two because he was just evil that way, Blake laughed. "I'm kidding. I couldn't financially support a whole household, anyway. But two or three would be nice, if I find the right kind of guy and he wants kids too. Or at least right now that wouldn't be a deal breaker." The devil made him ask Bane if he wanted kids when he was all grown up too.

"I am all grown up."

"Sure you are...Kid."

Loving when Bane made the growly sound in the back of his throat, he fucking loved that sexy sound, Blake was more than ready when Bane closed the gap between them to lay a very possessive and steamy kiss on his lips while being very mindful of the baby between them. And it was the care Bane took, even in the moment, not to squash Tasha between them that had Blake letting Bane have his way completely, looping his free arm around Bane's neck as he hummed his approval.

Of course Tasha would only allow herself to be sandwiched between them for so long before making her desire for more room known, the baby's renewed screeching more than enough to have them pulling apart and giving her their full attention.

"Go back to bed, I'll sit with her in the living room so that she doesn't bother you."

"No, bring her back to bed with you so that you'll both be warm. We will take care of her together."

"There's no reason you should miss out on sleep too." Though the fact that Bane would offer was earning the teenager definite brownie points in his books, Bane on a roll there tonight.

"Hush." And so saying Bane took the arm that had been wrapped around his neck and started to use it like a leash to gently but firmly tug him in the direction of the bedroom. He wasn't going to take no for an answer, apparently.

Shaking his head Blake opted to give in, trusting that eventually Bane would see things his way. The teething ring would help, yes, but it would only do so much good in the long run. Unfortunately.

)

Being jumped on by a little girl hadn't been a norm for him since foster care, but Blake wasn't really surprised when he opened his eyes to see Katelyn grinning at him as she yelled a little too loudly that Bane said that breakfast was going to be ready in five minutes so he needed to get up and get ready or he was going to miss out. Shawn was apparently eyeing the bacon like a starving wolf, and there were PANCAKES too so get up already!

"Yes, ma'am." Lifting her up by her waist Blake deposited his little neighbor on the floor and then pushed back his covers while she went running out of the room to no doubt stake a claim on her pancakes just in case Shawn wanted those too.

Pancakes. Bacon. Hot damn.

Thoughts of the food made Blake grin like an idiot, though said thoughts also woke him enough that he realized that he had no idea where Tasha was, or when he'd passed out on her and Bane. Crap.

Shaking his head over that Blake headed to the bathroom to use the facilities and splash some water on his face, quickly getting dressed for the day once that was taken care of before heading to the kitchen where he found Bane working away at the stove while Jana held Tasha on her lap, the kids voices coming from the living room as they watched some sort of cartoon on his television.

"Hey, how's she doing?"

"Better. I went down to the Maddens and Judi gave me some leftover teething gel stuff." Jana grimaced at him, apology written all over her face. "I'm really sorry, John, really. When Shawn was doing this my ma was looking after him mostly since I was in school, and CPS took Katelyn before it happened to her so I didn't... I know you told me this would happen, but she was just crying so much and the kids were-I couldn't think and I just got so upset and I-I'm sorry about wrecking things seeing as you had-"

Coming over Blake gave her shoulder a squeeze, knowing how hard she'd worked just to get to this point. "Don't worry about it. It was fine."

"That's what Bane said but still..."

"Listen to him in this case." Blake sent a smirk in Bane's direction before taking a seat beside her as he asked if she wanted them to watch the kids later in the day so that she could rest up a little more. The teething did take a while after all, so building up on her mental and physical strength could only do her good.

For a moment Jana just stared at him and then she turned her head to look in Bane's direction while pointing to Blake. "If you know what's good for you you're going to grab ahold of him and refuse to let go until you've got a ring on his finger. Trust me, his job might sucks, but guys like him are basically extinct in this God forsaken city."

Feeling his ears and cheeks heat up since he couldn't help but glance in Bane's direction for a second before dropping his gaze in total mortification, Blake was well aware that Jana was laughing at him but seriously, if he could stop the blushing he would have by now.

"You are so fucking cute sometimes, you know that." Shaking her head Jana lightly elbowed him and then stated she was going to see that the kids washed up for the food, giving him a wink before heading out with Tasha to collect the other two.

"She likes you very much."

Knowing he'd look even more ridiculous if he didn't respond or meet Bane's gaze, Blake raked a hand through his messy hair and then getting up wandered over to lean his back against one of his cabinets while observing the pancakes that looked almost done to him.

"When I first showed up at her door to introduce myself she couldn't close the door on me fast enough. Cops are a little more popular these days than they were when she and I were kids, but we're definitely not popular with a lot of people unless they need us for something." Blake smirked at Bane pointedly, since he knew his profession was probably a big black mark when it came to Bane's list of pros and cons of dating him.

"You're the best I know."

Cheeks flushed again when Bane reached over to stroke his cheek for a ridiculously romantic moment, Blake muttered a thanks, not knowing what else to say.

"The food is ready."

"Thank God."

So very glad for the distraction Blake turned his attention to plating stuff up and helping Bane transfer it onto the counter top since his kitchen table was way too small for all of them. The food was what mattered after all, especially since no one could embarrass him if their mouths were all stuffed full of food.

Hopefully.


	23. All Good Things

All Good Things

Raising a hand Bane used the remote to turn off the television since he was feeling too drowsy to keep watching and didn't want to miss anything that might prove important later. Smiling absently as the screen went dark, Bane set the remote on the coffee table before turning his attention back to enjoying his present position. He was stretched out on the couch with his cop snuggled up on top of him, Robin having fallen asleep with his head tucked under his chin an episode ago. They'd brought out a couple quilts to cuddle under so they were nice and warm, the only sounds in the room their breathing now that he'd turned off the television and the sounds of people being eaten by zombies was no longer distracting him.

He hadn't thought 'The Walking Dead' would interest him, but Blake had talked him into it and Bane was finding it a surprisingly interesting take on human nature. The fact that he could see a lot of parallels between his lover and the main protagonist of the show made it even more interesting, Blake wearing the oddest expression when he said that earlier. Apparently he'd have to watch up to the end of season four to get the reason behind that look. He would also have to wait until the third season to meet Michonne, who Robin claimed most closely resembled him in personality currently. Since she was one of the other man's favorite characters Bane was pleased by the comparison, and looked forward to making his own comparisons.

But since he wasn't awake enough to watch anymore he might as well close his eyes and take a nap too, Bane mused as he smiled to himself in utter contentment, unable to imagine a more perfect day and wishing that it would last forever.

Really, what he wished was that this was his life, Bane thought as he allowed himself to imagine it as he let his mind drift, not quite ready to slip into sleep yet. He let himself imagine that this was their couch in their place, a small house instead of an apartment since they would have that dog his Robin had mentioned wanting. It would be a nicer place than this, with a hominess to it that would make people and especially them feel comfortable and relaxed whenever they were in it. They'd definitely have plenty of plants too, something he needed to harass Blake about getting since there wasn't a single one in the whole apartment. And a big kitchen full of healthy food that he'd make his cop eat so that he would be as strong as possible when it came to facing the daily risk of being a Gotham City cop. They'd go to bed and wake up together every day, and this cuddling on the couch would be the normal for them, a nice way to wind down after a long day at work or to relax in on the weekend when they had nothing to do but enjoy some time together after a busy week. They could just nap like this, together like two interlocking puzzle pieces, and not need anything more than that. Oh, and there'd be pictures on the wall of them, like he'd seen at other people's houses. Them and their dog, and people would look at those pictures and know that he and Robin were more than just men who slept together and shared a place.

Going into the relationship he'd told himself that whatever happened between them wouldn't last, that an expiration date was there even if they couldn't see the exact date yet due to the differences in their values and live goals. He'd accepted that, and Robin had too, but he…now Bane wondered…did it have to be that way? Was there no way they could make it work?

There was no question in Bane's mind that Jana had been right to say that there weren't many men like his cop in Gotham. If things ended badly between them he would probably never find someone who could come close to comparing with Robin, while in all likelihood the other man had plenty of other admirers waiting in the wing for a chance with him. Like that other cop Robin had dated before, who'd made his desire to take Blake from him plain in that stairwell. Just thinking about him made Bane want to break a lot of somethings.

The other cops didn't like him, and would cause his cop problems at work for being involved with him. It also went without saying that he already knew that Talia couldn't stand Robin and vice versa. But if she could see how happy Robin made him, surely Talia could be brought around to at least be civil towards him, and in return couldn't Robin do the same? And once the cops saw how serious he was about Robin maybe they would come around too.

Yeah…probably not.

And even if all that could be overcome, and Bane was fairly sure Gotham City would be declared a utopia before that happened, there was still the fact that Talia's father had entrusted him with plans for taking over Gotham and remaking it into a great city. He'd given his word that if anything happened to his former teacher he'd do what needed to be done in Ra's al Ghul's name. He didn't break his promises, and owed the man all that he had now. But the things he would have to do to keep that promise…the roots of corruption were so deeply buried in Gotham...he would have to cross lines that Robin would not forgive him for. Would leave him over if he did. To think otherwise would be naïve and foolish.

To think that he might ever have that home and relationship with Robin was even more naïve and foolish.

Sighing, Bane lifted a hand to stroke his fingers through Robin's hair, smiling a little when the other man nuzzled his cheek against his chest in response.

"At least you're mine for now." Bane murmured, taking small comfort in that fact. What the future would hold for him and his cop…well that remained to be seen.

)

Waking up with the sense that something was missing a couple hours later, Bane wasn't surprised to find that the welcome weight of Robin's body was no longer on his. Opening his eyes to confirm that fact, and seeing that he'd been tucked in, Bane had to smile a little over that even as he untucked the quilts and tossing them aside went in search of his cop, who he found in the kitchen. That Robin was currently bent over and searching through his lower cupboards, thus providing him with a very appealing view of the man's gorgeous ass, was very much appreciated. Enough that rather than announce his presence Bane opted to just stand there and enjoy said view until Robin turned around, the smile the man gave him making it clear he was very aware what part of his anatomy Bane found so fascinating.

Waving the pot he now held by the handle, Robin continued to smirk at him as he turned his attention to pouring water into said pot, the cop deliberately giving his ass a teasing shake.

Tempted to give the ass a swat, Bane said what the hell and did precisely that, laughing when Robin both yelped and jumped, the water flying up and then sloshing back into the pot. Mostly.

"Oh you're going to pay for that one, Big Guy."

Intrigued, Bane asked how so.

"You'll see. When you least expect it."

The look on his lover's face was probably meant to be intimidating, but Bane just found it adorable and said so.

Rolling his eyes, Robin liked being called cute or adorable about as much as Bane liked being called a kid, the cop gave a sigh that was meant to make it sound like the weight of the world was on his shoulders before he sniffed and moved around Bane to place the pot on the stove.

"What are you making?"

"I want mashed potatoes. I figured that and the sausage we have left over from lunch. Works for you?" A threatening finger came up. "And don't even start with how much healthier these potatoes would be if I had left the skins on and didn't intend to put a bunch of butter in them." To make his point Robin started dropping the already peeled and cut up chunks of potato into the heating water.

Lips twitching, Bane held his hands up in mock surrender. He wouldn't point out the flaws in the menu this time around. If nothing else he was seeing that his Robin was working off all the calories he was consuming while they were together, and once their schedules returned to normal he'd start Robin's training at his place. If he could arrange it, he'd have Robin come in before meal times and then after the session get him to come up to his apartment where he'd feed him good, nutritious food. An excellent plan, if he did say so himself.

"What's with the gleam in your eyes? What are you planning?"

"I'm enjoying you cooking for me."

"No you're not. No one in their right mind looks forward to me cooking for them. I do edible at best when it comes to food that can't be made in a microwave. Unless we're talking about something stupidly easy like the mashed potatoes. What were you really thinking about?"

Coming up from behind Bane wrapped his arms around the other man's waist, cuddling their bodies together. "I was thinking that we need to start planning your training schedule so that when the weather stops being a problem I can start making you stronger."

"Ah. Should I be worried?"

Bane leaned in and nipped the tip of his lover's ear. "I will take good care of you, Little Bird."

"Little Bird? Do you want me to start calling you Kid again?"

"No."

"Then watch it, Bub."

Blinking, he'd never been called that before, Bane had to ask what Bub meant.

"Actually…I have no idea. It's a way of referring to another guy you know in a somewhat insulting manner?"

"You should not call people things when you don't know what they mean."

Making a dismissive sound, Robin deliberately rubbed his pretty ass against Bane's front while stating that Bane should just be glad he hadn't called him something more insulting. He was a cop, he was well schooled when it came to name calling.

Turnabout fair play, Bane let his hands slide down to settle on Robin's hips, fingers dipping in as he deliberately started to grind his growing erection against the other man's ass, backing them up as he did so since he didn't want to risk a kitchen accident interrupting what they were doing.

"Food first."

Smirking at the way Robin had groaned out the words, Bane's own tone was decidedly cocky as he tightened his hold. "Are you sure about that?"

"Definitely going to pay for this." Was Robin's answer, though the way he started thrusting back made it clear that he was surrendering for the time being.

And that being the case Bane smiled as he assured his cop that he wouldn't mind delaying dinner in the least, the cellphone he'd forgotten in the kitchen choosing that moment to go off and startle them both out of their amorous mood. It was Barsad's ringtone too, unfortunately.

"Better get that."

Muttering under his breath Bane turned his Robin loose, watching the other man walk over to retake his position in front of the stove from the corner of his eye as he retrieved his cell and accepted the call, bringing it to his ear as he somewhat gruffly said 'What?' in lieu of a proper greeting.

"Am I interrupting?"

"You were, too late now." And since it wasn't like Barsad could have had any idea what he was butting in on, Bane told himself to suck it up, and spoke in a much more reasonable tone of voice as he asked again why Barsad was calling.

A long, pointed pause. "Because this is the first time since the last time that we talked that my cell's been able to reach you. We only just got electricity back over here, and I thought you'd want to know that I made sure the pipes didn't freeze and organized the men to deal with the streets and roads since we're not high on the city's must help out list. I thought you'd want to know."

Wincing, he felt like a complete and total ass now, Bane mentally acknowledged that that was most likely what Barsad had been aiming for and what he deserved. And though he hated to do it, Bane knew that he had to apologize now, beginning with a sorry for his poor greeting. He appreciated that Barsad had been taking care of things in his absence, and he should have made some attempt to get ahold of him before now.

That he hadn't given a single thought to his neighborhood or how his people were faring, had been so wrapped up in Robin that he'd pushed aside all thoughts of the outside world so that he could savor his present predicament…Fuck. Yeah, he deserved it if Barsad made him grovel a little.

"No problem. Acting in your absence is part of my job description. My info is that the roads should be decent enough for travel tomorrow…will you be coming back in the morning if that's the case?"

Appreciating the fact that he was apparently being let off the hook, though he would be surprised if this wasn't thrown in his face at a later date, Bane walked over to the nearest window to survey outside. The road he could see looked doable provided one was in a serious vehicle, and it wasn't snowing which meant that tonight the city workers would have a decent chance of really making a dent instead of fighting a losing battle with the weather. There was some worry that his vehicle would still be buried when he got to it, but if that was the case he'd be able to deal with digging it out easily enough.

"If I can make it I will. If not I'll text or call you to let you know."

"Understood." A pause. "I'll let you get back to your cop, then. I just wanted to check in with you, get an ETA."

"Till tomorrow then. Stay warm." Tacking that on sounded lame, but it had slipped out before Bane registered how stupid a response it was.

A sound of amusement, then Barsad said good night and hung up.

Replacing the phone so that it was in his pocket, it would stay within easy reach from now on, Bane turned his attention back to Robin, just in time to see the other man's gaze drop from watching him to going back to the plate on the countertop, which was currently displaying the sausages left over from lunch.

Walking over Bane wrapped his arms around Robin's waist against, cuddling their bodies close as he rubbed his cheek against the cool smoothness of his lover's hair. "Barsad says that the roads will probably be useable tomorrow."

"Probably for the best. I don't have enough healthy food for you."

Recognizing the teasing cheer in his bird's voice to be false, Bane angled his head to place a kiss on the underside of the man's jaw before agreeing that he was going to have to see to it that his Robin's cabinets were restocked with more healthy food again. There was far too much junk in them. Again.

Snorting, the cop told him to go set the table, Bane placing one more kiss against the soft skin before letting go and heading off to do as bidded.

)

Setting the table didn't take long, there was just the two of them after all and it was a one course meal, which meant Bane had everything ready in no time. And though he wanted to go back into the kitchen and pick up where they'd left off, even if it was just holding Robin, Bane instead opted to go into the living room and retake his earlier seat on the couch. It and the blankets were still warm, the latter smelling of them in a way that had Bane opting to push them aside rather than enjoy their additional warmth. He was slipping into a brood, he could feel it, and any sort of comfort wasn't welcome as he alternated between being angry at himself for not thinking about his place and his people, and sulking over the fact that he was going to have to leave this apartment tomorrow and go back to a life that didn't, couldn't revolve completely around being with Robin.

And thinking what he was thinking made Bane feel a little nauseated with himself, actually. This was not him, not who he had made himself, and Bane suddenly wondered if he wasn't experiencing those mood swings that were supposed to be characteristic of one's teenage years. Shit…he had far too many things to deal with at the moment then to have to worry that he was devolving for some reason.

"Bane, supper's ready."

"Coming." Getting out of the couch, and ignoring the desire to kick it or something nearby to childishly express his feelings at the moment, Bane jammed his hands into his pockets and headed back over to the table where Robin had already set out the food for them. It occurred to him that he must have spent more time brooding than he realized, which just made things that much worse.

"It looks good." The comment was automatic, something Bane knew he should say as he took his seat. He wasn't remotely hungry now, but he'd eat since his bird had gone to all the trouble of making it for him, not to mention the fact that he didn't want to discuss why he wasn't eating anything. As it was Robin was giving him an accessing look that made Bane think that he needed his mask to properly hide his expressions from his cop so that Robin wouldn't be able to read his face well.

And that thought reminded Bane of how long he'd gone now without wearing his mask and…damn.

He didn't even know where it was at the moment. That was NOT good. Not good at all.


	24. Meditate On It

Meditate On It

When Bane pretty much demanded to know where his mask was Blake raised an eyebrow at the tone, but rather than make an issue of it shrugged and told the teen that the last place he'd seen it was on his dresser. And when Bane walked off without a word, to get the mask Blake assumed, the cop didn't point out that they were about to eat, which meant that even if Bane had had the mask the whole time he was going to have to keep it off for a bit longer so that said food could be eaten. It did irk him though, especially when Bane came back with the mask in one hand, taking a seat at the table with a set expression that Blake recognized well from his time volunteering at his former boy's home.

Oh fun, a pouting time bomb.

Refraining from rolling his eyes, he'd brought this on himself by agreeing to date a teenager, Blake considered the pros and cons of deliberating setting off the bomb just so that they could get the blow up over with and deal with the fallout before bed.

The main problem, unfortunately, was that he didn't know what would happen when Bane did blow up. Bane busting up that bannister came to mind, and while he honestly didn't believe Bane would hurt him, there was also other stuff in the apartment the teenager could break during a tantrum. Plus Bane could do something stupid like up and leave. That really worried him. The idiot's car was probably still buried under snow at the moment, and what if Bane did something stupid like decide to walk home as some sort of wilderness training? He could end up with frostbite or pneumonia or get hit by a snow removal truck that didn't see him until it was too late. And okay, Bane was pretty hard to miss, but this was Gotham, insanity happened regularly.

Maybe he should just let Bane sulk about it. Then they'd go to bed feeling miserable and irritated, but at least they'd both be in one piece and not worrying about the other being buried alive under a snow drift somewhere. They'd be snippy in the morning but then Bane would go home and no doubt beat the hell out of some gym equipment at his place, and feel much better afterwards. Heck, that might eliminate their need to talk whatever was wrong out, which would totally be worth one tense night.

After all, it wasn't like he couldn't figure out what had Bane in a funk. That was obvious. And the consequences of them being together wasn't something that was going to go away anytime soon. They'd brought this on themselves and Bane either needed to accept that or accept that he'd been wrong when he'd insisted that they start dating in the first place.

Blake was willing to bet Bane would sooner bite his own tongue off than admit he'd been wrong to think he could handle this.

Ultimately deciding to let Bane pout unless the teenager started pushing him, Blake calmly ignored the fact that he was basically being given the silent treatment as they ate their dinner. It was really good after all, and when you lived in foster homes you learned to eat quickly to better your chances of getting decent seconds. He'd never really broken himself of the habit really, though he'd tried, and so he was actually done before Bane, though the fact that Mr. Sulky wasn't paying proper attention to his food didn't help.

"Not hungry?" Blake asked innocently, since if Bane wasn't going to finish his dinner he would.

"It's fine."

So grumpy sounding, Blake thought, fighting back the urge to smirk or make a smart ass remark. "What do you want to do after dinner?"

A long, drawn out pause, and then Bane mumbled that he was going to meditate after dinner.

"Meditate?"

"You should meditate as well, I could teach you. It would do you good."

Not quite sure how to take that, did Bane think he was mentally disturbed in some way, Blake decided to give the jerk the benefit of a doubt and assume that Bane was simply trying to piss him off. That being the case Blake refused to give the teenager what he wanted and instead shrugged his shoulders before stating that he already knew how to meditate.

"You do?"

"Sure. I got stuck with these loopy New Age types while I was in foster for a bit. They were big on me controlling my anger issues with meditating. Not that it helped worth a damn, but I did eventually learn how to find my 'happy place' so to speak. That's as close to finding inner peace as I get, unless I've just had a really, really excellent orgasm."

The look Bane gave him made it clear he didn't like that answer.

Shrugging that off Blake got up from his chair, collected his stuff, and then carrying it over to the sink went about cleaning the plate, cup, and silverware before setting them aside to air dry. He didn't mind washing dishes so much, but drying them was a whole other story.

Not commenting when Bane joined him to do the same, the teenager's oh so precious mask now in place, Blake leaned back against the cupboards to watch before following after the teenager when Bane headed in the direction of the living room. Once there Bane took a seat on the floor in a cross legged position while stating the obvious, which was that he was going to meditate now and was not to be disturbed.

"That your way of saying that I should get out of my own living room?"

"You may remain. But only if you meditate too. We both need to focus our thoughts, on both what is and what will be."

"How very zen of you." Amused, Blake wandered over and took a seat beside Bane, copying Bane's pose for the time being. He even closed his eyes.

"You don't know how to meditate, do you?"

"I'm going to my happy place now, thank you very much."

)

In truth his happy place was more along Happy Gilmore's happy place than some Buddhist monk's idea of some tranquil place of inner peace. He just couldn't wipe his mind clean on command, especially when it was a rare thing to not to have something important to think about. So yeah, he sucked at meditation as Bane knew it. But he had once dated an Adam Sandler fan back in the day, and he had seen the Happy Gilmore movie and had liked the idea of creating a world in your mind that you could go to to get away from the real world and de stress for a few minutes. So he had created that happy place in his mind a while back and it actually did help, which was why he didn't mock the idea of meditation and such as bullshit straight off. He did believe in the power of the mind, and heck, he could do with some relaxing of his own.

So Blake imagined his happy place, the huge, king sized bed with really plush, silky looking bedspread and sheets that just begged to be snuggled under. The open balcony doors to his left letting in sunshine and warm summer breezes, the air laced with exotic scents that tickled his nose and brushed against his bare chest. And then there were strong, muscular arms wrapping around his waist, plush lips pressing against his throat as he was pressed back against a naked, sculpted by the gods chest.

Arching back against that incredible body, he could never get enough of it, Blake sighed like a school girl at the sound of the husky, sexy as hell chuckle he got in response.

"Anxious, aren't we, Darling?"

Technically Tom Hardy had ditched his native accent when he'd played Tommy Riordan in the highly underrated 'Warrior', but this was his happy place so artistic licensing was allowed. Neither actor nor the character he'd played was gay, after all, and in his happy place Hardy was most definitely gay and horny. Really, really, horny. Been in prison for twenty years and not gotten decently laid ONCE in those twenty years horny.

Moaning as the British actor whispered all sorts of dirty, explicit things while grinding his considerable erection against his ass, Blake had the fleeting thought that it probably wasn't right to be thinking about being fucked by someone else while his current boyfriend was right beside him.

Then again…that thought quickly left his mind when he found himself being swung around, Hardy dropping to his knees and going to work undoing his zipper for him.

Yup, not important in the least.

Diving his fingers into the man's hair, his imaginary lover wouldn't mind in the slightest, Blake couldn't have been happier when that infamously beautiful mouth of Hardy's went to work blowing him with a skill that Blake had to appreciate.

Or he was until his concentration was blown by his whole body being shaken hard.

Opening his eyes Blake gave Bane a less than pleased look, the teenager's hands heavy on his shoulders. "What? I thought you were meditating."

"A little hard to do when the person beside you is moaning like he's having sex. And encouraging sexual favors from someone named Hardy."

Ah. The look in Bane's eyes sorta made sense now. He'd be feeling a little homicidal too in the kid's shoes. Not that Bane's shoes would fit him. The teenager had seriously big feet.

"No need to be upset. I was just in my happy place. In real life I wouldn't stand a chance with Hardy." As an afterthought Blake suggested that Bane let go of his shoulders. He'd go to his bedroom so that he wouldn't disturb Bane's meditating.

"You think I'm just going to shrug off you imagining having sex with another man while I'm right beside you?!"

Eyebrows rising, Blake figured there was something wrong with him, that he found Bane's sudden intensity and focus on him to be a serious turn on. Of course he'd been seriously turned on before Bane had interrupted his sex dream so maybe that was it. Either way…

"I would never cheat on you in real life, but sexy thoughts about other guys are allowed. I have sexy thoughts about you too, if that makes you feel better." He supposed he could switch out Warrior version Hardy and replace him with Bane in his happy place, but Blake was sort of loathed to do it since Hardy did whatever he wanted, while Bane was never that obedient, even in his head.

And of course that thought had his stupid hormones injecting a new possibility into his head, Blake suddenly imagining what it would be like if he had both of them in his happy place. Huh. He didn't believe in threesomes in real life; that was just asking for trouble on a number of levels. Plus he'd always figured that if a third person was needed to have good sex, the original guy had to suck at it in the first place.

The sucking thought turning Blake's mind back to the fact that Hardy had been sucking him off moments before, Blake couldn't stop himself from imagining what it would be like to be pressed up against Bane's chest while Hardy did that, Bane whispering sexy things in his ear now while running his hands possessively over his torso. Only that didn't play to his mind, Bane wasn't the type to talk dirty, but if the other two men were to switch positions…oh baby.

"ROBIN!"

Opening his eyes, unaware that he'd closed them again, Blake could see that he was now, officially, on Bane's last nerve.

"All right, all right, I'm sorry." Shoulders hunching a little, Blake felt like doing some pouting of his own. "I'll stop going to my happy place." While Bane was around, anyway. He was definitely revisiting that scenario and playing it out as soon as possible. Hell, it was going to take a miracle to not dream about it and wake Bane up in the process. That would not go over well.

"I have a good mind to put you over my knee."

Getting the picture Blake scolded warily. "So not my kink."

"You would not enjoy it."

"Exactly."

Bane's hands tightened on his shoulders hard enough to bruise, the younger man's face still the picture of fierce, but controlled fury. At least controlled for the moment.

Recognizing the position he was in now Blake didn't fight the hold, simply reaching out to cup Bane's face between his hands. "I'm telling you, in complete honesty, that if Tom Hardy were to show up here, butt naked and having suddenly changed sexual preferences, I'd still turn him down. Because I'm with you. As long as we're a couple I'm with you and no one else. I promise."

"He does not like men."

"Well if Wikipedia is to be believed, and it's usually fairly accurate, he gave it a try when he was young and it's not his thing. He's an actor, Bane. The odds of me ever seeing him in real life are minuscule. You can't tell me there aren't actors or entertainers out there you haven't fantasized about." Reading Bane's expression to mean no, Blake sighed. "Okay, I'm introducing you to Joseph Gordon Levitt and Heath Ledger. I've been told I sorta look like them and if I'm your type…"

"And you would be fine with me fantasizing about other men?"

"As long as it stays in your head, yeah. Cheat on me in real life and I'll kick-try to kick your ass." Blake corrected, since let's be honest, he wouldn't stand much of a chance since Bane would likely try and protect himself. "But you were right, it was douche level asseholeness to do that beside you, I apologize. Sincerely."

Meeting Bane's gaze squarely Blake just barely managed to hold in a yelp when Bane suddenly shifted the positioning of his hands and jerked him up against him into a hug that was both possessive and oddly desperate.

"You are mine. No one else's."

Rubbing his cheek against the side of Bane's head Blake assured him that that was the case.

"You think only of me. Say only my name."

Nuzzling him again, Blake agreed with that too. "Trust me, you're all I'm thinking about right now."

"I will make sure of that."

A lot less surprised to find himself on his back with Bane pinning him to the floor with his bigger body, Blake didn't attempt to struggle, but reached up to place his hands against the cool metal of Bane's mask.

"I can't kiss you if you have this on."

"Undo it then."

Doing precisely that Blake removed the mask as quickly as possible, tossing it aside before drawing Bane's head down to slate their mouths together, letting Bane have complete control of the kiss and the position they found themselves in since he owed Bane that much. And besides, it wasn't like it was a hardship. Not a hardship at all.

)

Waking up the next morning, and feeling his very active night in every muscle of his poor body, Blake didn't know whether to purr like a kitten or whimper like a little girl. Either way he wasn't sorry that he'd tweaked Bane's possessive, jealous side. Though the more he thought about it the more he realized what a jerk he'd technically been, especially since Bane really was just a kid and had only been behaving as teenagers did and probably should in the long run. He'd handled it all wrong and he knew it.

That being the case Blake got up and dressed rather than wake Bane up, hiding the bruises on his shoulders and hips since he knew the sight of them would upset his boyfriend. Because above and beyond the fact that Bane wasn't the type to be physical violent towards someone who mattered to him, they were also a sign that Bane hadn't been in complete control of himself and that probably scared the hell out of the teen.

Once he was dressed Blake left Bane in his bed and headed down his hallway to the living room, where he stretched out as much of the kinks as possible since he needed to be walking and moving as smoothly as normal once Bane was conscious enough to notice that sort of thing. While he was there his sharp cop eyes noticed the mask, half hidden under his couch, and while he'd rather throw it out his nearest window Blake sighed and retrieved the damn thing, carrying it with him when he headed for the kitchen. There he wiped up some oatmeal, since that was the sort of good for them shit Bane was all for, normally, and that, plus some glasses of juice on a tray, and they were good to go so to speak.

Carefully holding the tray with one hand and the mask with the other, Blake walked back to the bedroom and to his side of the bed, taking a seat with his back against the headboard with the tray balanced on his legs. Poking Bane's shoulder to wake the teenager up was thankfully very effective, Bane was a much lighter sleeper than he was.

Blake waited until Bane's eyes focused on him before telling him that it was time for breakfast.

Sitting up Bane rubbed his hands over his face, turning his head this way and that to get a sense of his position before once again focusing all his attention on Blake.

"You made breakfast?" Bane's voice was husky both from sleep and the amount of use it had gotten during the night and into the morning.

Remembering how forceful and commanding Bane had been before had Blake squashing the instinct to squirm as he retrieved the mask he'd set at his side, holding it out to Bane.

"Found that, too. Figured you'd want it."

Taking the mask from him Bane looked down at it for several heartbeats and then set it beside him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."


	25. Change Is Coming

Change Is Coming

It had been a little over a week since he'd been snowed in at his cop's apartment, and Bane had only spoken to the other man a few times on the phone, mostly to say that he couldn't meet him for dinner or whatever else Robin suggested they do. He could have, it wasn't like he didn't know how to manage his time, but Bane needed the time away from his lover while he got himself under control. He didn't have control over himself or his life, Robin threw it into chaos without even trying, and Bane was determined to get his balance back and his life in order before he reintroduced Robin into the equation. Which he would, because he refused to give the other man up before he was good and ready, but he needed to have it together or things between them would just end that much sooner.

The fact that Robin hadn't just shown up at his apartment or dojo irked him though, which was stupid since he was avoiding the cop in the first place. But it was annoying to know that he wasn't being missed, especially when he missed him like a lost limb. Even his sleeping patterns were suffering, the fact that Robin wasn't sleeping beside him making his own bed feel cold and empty despite the quilt Robin had gotten for him.

And you'd think Robin would be upset with him for not calling or texting him. Every conversation they'd had, Robin had been the one to contact him first after all. Or maybe Robin was irked with him, and that's why he hadn't heard from him in the last two days.

By all the gods that didn't exist…he was turning into a girl.

Disgusted with himself, Bane went to the kitchen to get himself some tea that would hopefully relax him and help him get to sleep sometime soon. It was a familiar routine, one that should have soothed him, but as Bane filled up his kettle he had a feeling he'd be spending another night overanalyzing every aspect of his relationship with Robin, with no helpful answers being forthcoming.

How the mighty had fallen, and for a cop no less.

Shifting with the intention of walking over to retrieve a cup to pour the tea in when it was finished brewing, Bane paused when his sharp ears picked up the sound of the elevator going off, signalling that he had an unexpected guest. And while he'd love to believe it was Robin come to pay him a visit, Bane didn't figure the other man had the skills to get past his security system even if he were so inclined. And as Robin was the only late night guest he wanted to see…whoever had dared to think he or she could enter his place without his permission was going to be very, very sorry momentarily.

Setting the kettle onto a cold burner just in case, Bane moved without making a sound then, turning off the kitchen lights and getting into position to see who was coming without putting himself in a position where he'd be a target if his visitor had a gun.

Then the voice of his intruder cut through the darkness of his living room.

"Miss me, Bane?"

"Talia."

Turning the kitchen light back on, Bane walked back into the room, moment later Talia coming in after him and behaving like it wasn't a little past three in the morning, and she shouldn't be somewhere else as she came over to lean against the cupboards while she asked what kind of tea he was once again making.

"Chamomile. Why aren't you at St. Catherine's?"

"That place is driving me crazy. But don't worry, I'll go back before I'm missed. I just needed to see you. I thought I would have to wake you up, it's unusual for you to be a night owl." She reached out to slide her hand up his T-shirt covered arm. "Something bothering you? Problems with your cop, perhaps?"

Well aware of her feelings concerning Robin, and Robin's feelings where Talia was concerned come to that, Bane wasn't about to admit there were problems, much less the nature of them. He couldn't trust her advice, and the last thing he needed was her saying something that would mess with his head even more than Robin was without even trying. So instead he shrugged, and fell back on the tried and true excuse of having too much on his mind.

"Since when do you keep secrets from me?" There's a hint of an edge to her words, though they were meant to be teasing. "Especially when I came all this way to find out how your love life is going. You can't blame me for being curious after all, as you've never had one before."

"I don't have a love life still." He was not in love with Robin, Bane told both her and himself. If he were…well that would be…

"Right. Because you just suddenly acquired a desire for men, and Officer Blake just has a thing for men in masks. Quite the fan of Batman, I understand."

"He's not a fan of my mask." Though yes, Robin had great respect and admiration for the Bat. Which he had yet to delusion Robin successfully about.

"Then no wonder you're brooding tonight. The mask is a part of you." Reaching out Talia companionable tapped a fingernail against the side of the mask Bane was currently wearing, having forced himself to slip into the habit of not taking it off unless absolutely necessary again. "You are the mask, and the mask is you, remember?"

"I remove the mask and I am still Bane. The mask, without me, is just shaped metal and leather meant to fit my face and mine alone." Bane shifted slightly away from her to check the tea, which he pronounced ready to drink. Did she want a cup?

"Of course." Walking over to retrieve a cup of her own Talia set it down beside Bane's. "So you don't wear it around him, pretending that it doesn't matter what that mask represents?"

"I wear it."

"Oh? Even while you were all but living together during the storm last week?" At Bane's surprised glance Talia gave him her cat smile, reminding him that she had sources on the street still. And where Bane had spent his winter holiday had been quite the topic of conversation in this neighborhood.

"I was snowed in, Talia. And that is enough questions about Robin. My relationship with him is none of your concern."

"Robin? I thought his first name was John. Or did you give him a pet name?"

"Robin is what I call him. Now we are done talking about this." He knew how much Robin hated other people calling him by his real first name, so getting off this topic, before she learned that calling the cop that would be a great way to piss him off, was most definitely in his best interests.

"Fine, I'll drop it. After I say this." Talia's eyes went hard and cold, so very much her father's daughter in that moment. "Never forget that he is not on our side. Your bird is not one of us, and that will never change. He's part of the problem, and in the end he'll stand against us."

"You speak of him as though he grew up wealthy and privileged like Wayne. He was born on these streets too, Talia. He walked them, was beaten on them, ran for his life on them just as we did. He has the scars, both mental and physical, and he forgets no more than you or I. He works to make them better for the next generation the best he can, in his way. Just because it isn't ours doesn't change his reasons for becoming a cop. The good that he does."

"And what good has a cop ever done for us, hmmm? You do remember that I'm stuck in St. Catherine's because of the pigs, don't you?"

"You're there because you did not listen to me about carrying your father's knife."

)

It was uncharacteristic of him, but Bane had to admit that he felt some amusement when her mouth dropped open in stunned surprise, Talia looking at him like he'd just shocked the hell out of her. And perhaps he should take that as a strong hint that he needed to be more stern with her, Bane considered, his amusement dying now. Talia was headstrong, only her father had ever been able to rein her in, and that could be a bad thing if she didn't channel all her spirit and fire in the right way. He indulged her, had always done so, but perhaps that needed to be tempered more. She was nearly an adult after all, and needed to act like it.

"You're blaming me for what happened?"

"Who else should I blame?" Bane asked as he handed her her cup of tea.

"The bastard who recorded the fight!"

"And you think, that in this world where technology is everything, and people post everything they see and do on social media sites, that one doesn't always have to be aware of that and take appropriate precautions? Your father taught us both better than that."

Embarrassed color flushing her cheeks, it was obvious his barb had hit home. Nothing upset Talia more than even the suggestion that she'd failed to live up to her father's expectations of her.

Intending to soften the blow a little, as well as reassure her that he was only saying these things to teach and protect her, Bane set down his own tea and moved in closer to her, intending to place a brotherly kiss to the side of her head. But even as his mind formulated what to say next as his lips nearly brushed her hair, Bane caught a very familiar scent mixed in with whatever shampoo and such she was using at the moment.

"Are you injured? Did someone hurt you?" Immediately he placed his hands on her shoulders, moving her so that they were standing face to face as he searched for some sign or reason as to why the coppery smell might be clinging to her person.

Rolling her eyes, though her stiff posture suggested that she was still angry at him, Talia stated that there was no one that she needed to worry about at juvie, and what was he talking about?

"I smell blood on you."

For a moment there was a flicker of something in her eyes, something that made Bane feel uneasy, and then it was gone and she was smiling at him indulgently, like what he'd said amused her. "It's nothing. There was a fight over some half-dressed twit outside a club, and I happened to be walking past just as one of the guys got his nose broken. Some of the splatter got on me. I haven't been in a fight since our clash with the Bloods."

Her knuckles showed no signs of having made recent contact with anything, nor were there any bruises visible to his eyes. Though there was a hint of blood on her inner wrist, and not liking the sight of that one little bit Bane tugged her over to the sink where he washed it off for her, ignoring her amused look at his fussing.

"I stopped at a restaurant to wash off the worst of it, guess I missed a few spots." Talia picked up her cup again once her hands were free, having set it down in anger moments before.

"You should have taken a cab. If the police had gotten involved you would have gotten into serious trouble. Right now you need to stay under their radar, Talia."

"Says the man sleeping with a cop." Talia shot back. "Or is he willing to turn a blind eye to what you are?"

"In some ways he sees me better than most. In others ways he is blind."

"I'm tempted to say that you could say the same. And I'm no longer thirsty." Talia set aside the cup, harder than was necessary on the counter. "I should be heading back, since you don't want to talk and I'm not supposed to be here."

Seeing that she wanted him to apologize, to take back his earlier words and tell her everything she might want to know about Robin, Bane forced himself to not give in, telling himself that it was for her own good, especially since even someone of her abilities and cunning could be caught. "I'll drive you back then. It's too cold out, and I would like to talk with you some more. I have missed you very much."

That she didn't appreciate the compromise he was essentially offering was plain, but she nodded in agreement. So abandoning his tea as well Bane motioned for her to head out, following close behind to watch her back, as always.

)

Even though the media was controlled by the government and its wealthier constituents, and far too often hid or distorted the truth beyond all recognition, Bane still made it a habit to read the newspaper every morning. It was good to keep up-to-date on what various governments and politicians were getting up to, as well as gain information about the crime in the city and what was or wasn't being done about it. And since his paper was late in its arrival, the weather wasn't ideal again, Bane ended up eating his breakfast with his laptop in front of him instead, reduced to watching the news online since he had a busy morning planned and wouldn't have time to check out his paper again until lunch.

For the first little while nothing really caught his attention until the reporter mentioned that next up they'd be discussing the most recent 'Miranda Murder'.

So she got another one, Bane thought to himself with some interest, his eyes shifting back to the screen. Though seven of the now eighteen murders had taken place within blocks of his territory, Bane had never bothered to look into who was actually committing the crimes. Mostly because as far as he was concerned the woman in question was doing the world a favor, getting rid of the scum she targeted. As long as she stayed out of his territory and kept hunting men who preyed on defenseless women, he saw no reason to interfere. That he could find her if he wanted to went without saying.

Sipping his juice Bane listened to the basic details, mentally noting that apparently this time around there had been, according to the reporter's inside source, an escalation in the violence done to the victim. She may be getting a taste for it, Bane surmised, which was not a good thing. Shedding blood for a reason was one thing, but shedding blood just to see it flow was one step away from becoming what this woman had hunted up until now.

The cameraman zooming in on Commissioner Gordon when the reporter mentioned that the man was on scene, Bane forgot all about the cereal on his spoon as he stared in surprise at the man in uniform standing right beside Gordon, looking at something the older man was showing him on an iPad.

Robin.

What was he doing there? The man's usual beat was practically on the other side of the city from where the majority of murders had taken place. He knew of two that might have been close enough that Robin could have been involved, but regardless his cop was only an officer and this was a very high profile series of murders. A female serial killer was big news, even in Gotham. There was a task force too, and Robin would have mentioned if he was part of it, wouldn't he have?

Either way he didn't like it. He'd seen images of the victims, and had even known a few by reputation, and any woman that could end their lives so easily, without receiving serious injury herself, was a woman that should not be trifled with. Which wouldn't worry Robin in the slightest, as his cop was like a dog with a bone when it came to something like this. If he was assigned to hunt for this woman his lover would devote himself to doing precisely that without any hesitation or concern for his own safety.

And unlike a great many of the cops he worked with, Robin was neither stupid nor without solid street contacts. What if he managed to find the woman, or she felt Robin was getting too close to finding out who she was and decided to take him out of the equation? There were so many was she could lure him in, plus Robin was very much the sort that would hesitate to hit a girl even if she was trying to kill him at the time.

Bane's head hurt just imagining it, not to mention it scared the hell out of him.

Mental images scrambling his brains completely, Bane didn't take a moment to think his actions through as he retrieved his cell phone from his pant pocket, and accessing his contacts list scrolled down to Robin's.

On the fifth ring Robin's voice came over the line, the first words out of the cop's mouth abruptly reminding Bane of a few things he'd forgotten in his worry.

"You know, the way you've been avoiding me this week I should just hang up on you now or pretend I'm too busy to take your call. Lucky you, I'm curious enough to ask why you're calling instead. Though make it quick, cause I am actually due in court in seven."

"I have not been avoiding you."

"Yeah, and teenagers are the most rational people in the world." Even over the phone Robin's voice managed to drip with sarcasm. "And if you're calling because you want phone sex to deal with our morning wood you're out of luck. I'd have to write myself up for public indecency, AND six minutes is not enough time to do that right."

"Not everything is about sex, Robin."

"Ah, but that's why you're dating me, isn't it?"


	26. What They Know

What They Know

When Bane didn't automatically respond to his half joking, half serious remark about why they were currently dating, Blake actually went a little quiet and still himself. He actually felt a current of electricity run up his spine as it straightened, Bane's response to his comment suddenly becoming very important since Bane was apparently taking it seriously enough to have gone silent. Either that or the line had disconnected somehow, Blake realized, though you'd think he'd hear the dial tone if that was the case. Still…maybe he should say something just to double check and make sure that Bane actually was there, especially since he really would have to head into the courtroom in mere minutes and time could be of the essence here if they were going to have a serious conversation.

"Bane?"

"I didn't call you about sex." The teenager's tone was gruff , with layers to it that Blake couldn't analyze properly over the phone which was really, really annoying.

Wanting to ask why Bane had stayed quiet for so long but forcing himself not to, Blake asked Bane why he was calling instead.

"Are you involved with the Miranda Murders now?"

Eyes widening in surprise, that was not a question he'd expected the teen to even know to ask him, Blake was even more off-guard because he'd officially been added to the task force only that day. If Bane had only asked him this question the day before he would have been able to say that he was barely involved with it at all, and it would have been the truth. Now, however…

"I've been attached to the case, yes. Though as an officer that doesn't mean a heck of a lot." Which was the truth, even if he was going to be a detective soon enough. "Why do you ask? And how would you even know about that?"

"I saw you on the news."

"Oh." Well that made sense. "How'd I look?"

The sound of exasperation that came over the line had Blake's lips twitching in amusement in spite of himself.

"What's important here is that you are getting mixed up in a very dangerous case. The woman you're after has killed men that could very easily have ended your life when they were alive, Robin. This case will be extremely dangerous for you, especially as you are not stupid or lazy like the majority of your kind. And you won't give up until you find her."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence. Sorta." And while he wanted to believe that Bane was just concerned about his wellbeing, which wouldn't be completely unfounded since Bane's adoptive sister really was a psychotic bitch that any reasonably sane person would treat with caution, Blake couldn't ignore the very real possibility that Bane was aware of who Miranda really was and was calling to feel him out. Which he wasn't about to let the boy do, obviously.

"You need to be very careful, Robin."

"Having seen what she leaves behind I'm aware of that. But thanks for worrying."

"I'm not worried." To Blake's ears it sounded like Bane was trying to convince himself of that fact. "I simply know that you're the sort who doesn't think before he leaps. And I'd rather you not be dead."

"True. I still have a lot to teach you." Blake deliberately put a sexual bent to his words, hoping to change the subject to something they could talk about. Of course only then did it occur to him that he was supposed to be mad at the little shit for basically ignoring and avoiding him all week. Dammit. Though really, that was what he got for dating a teenager, God help him.

"Robin, this is no time to be talking about sex."

"Why not? It's a great deal more fun to talk about than men being mutilated and murdered. Or we could talk about what a childish ass you've been this week, if you'd rather. Actually scratch that, I don't have enough time to get into that before I have to hang up on you. So if the case is all you want to talk about I'll say goodbye for now and we can talk later."

"I am being neither an ass nor childish."

"As someone who grew up in foster care and then a boy's home…I know when someone is being a childish ass. You're being both. And I'd be calling you worse, but there's a woman old enough to be my grandmother sitting across from me now who's bored enough to eavesdrop." Blake smiled politely at the woman in question, who gave him a rather leering look that had Blake rather glad Bane hadn't let him stay on the subject of sex. Awkward.

"Has it occurred to you that your insistence in treating me like a child might be a reason I haven't called?"

Numerous responses to that occurring to Blake, including the fact that the amount of sex they'd had said otherwise unless Bane was accusing him of being a pedophile, but Blake buttoned up the sarcasm since he was the mature one in this relationship, God help both of them now.

"I have to head in, recess is over. If I call you tonight are you going to answer?"

"Come to my place for the night."

That the first thought that came to mind was that Bane might mean to eliminate him from the Miranda task force, as Bane believed him to be better at his job than the rest, was painful. Really painful. Enough that Blake couldn't answer right away, the weight suddenly on his chest seizing him up.

"Robin? Are you alright?"

"No. No I'm…fine. Yeah. I'll stop by tonight."

A pause. "Let me know when you're coming."

"Will do. And I have to go now, see you tonight then."

Blake hardly heard Bane say the same before hanging up, Blake ended the call on his end automatically. And sliding the device back into his pocket Blake just sat there for a minute or two until his name was called, breaking him out of his thoughts.

Time for court. He needed to get his head back in the game.

)

New, idealistic public defenders were some of the most annoying lawyers Blake had ever had the displeasure of going up against in the court of law. No matter how many times he told himself that they really were just trying to make sure that their clients were properly defended, Blake often found himself wanting to shake the green off of them and make them see that they weren't doing themselves or their clients any good playing the blame it on society card. Yes one's life played a significant part in how one turned out, life shaped you whether you wanted to be shaped that way or not, but it could only be used as an excuse up until a point. After that how you lived your life was on you.

Dragging a trial on for weeks by trying to use every trick in the law book, and when that didn't work trying to blame the victims and everyone else on the prosecutor's list, just made Blake hate this particular lawyer that much more.

All the bullshit had bogged things down to the point where it was nearly lunch time when Blake was finally allowed to leave after having given his testimony. He had a pounding headache, a renewed hatred for lawyers, and a definite need for a nap though food should have been on the menu instead. He wasn't in the mood for food though, his stomach quite turned.

Thankfully he was pretty sure the jury all hated the lawyer as much as much as he did at this point, and that would condemn the client no matter what said lawyer tried to twist or get thrown out.

"You okay, Kid?"

Finding some irony in his own faint annoyance at being referred to that way, not that he'd stop where Bane was concerned any time soon, Blake turned around to give the detective a wry smile. "New public defender from hell. Beware the name Langdale."

"Thanks for the heads up."

"You're welcome."

Sharing a look of complete understanding Blake returned the cop's short wave and then continued on his way, forcing himself to remember that now that he didn't have to concentrate on the trial he'd just left, he needed to focus on the Miranda Murders. Or more to the point, the fact that the little bitch had tripped up a little the night before thanks to Gordon being one step ahead of her.

Without telling anyone what he was planning, Gordon had arranged to put extra cameras in the vicinity of St. Catherine's where logically speaking there was no need for them normally. Ergo no one would think to look and try to avoid those cameras because they were concealed and in very random places.

It was two of those 'random' cameras that had caught Talia Ducard slipping out of the juvenile hall and leaving the premise for an unknown destination on foot last night. That a little over an hour later Miranda had brutally tortured and murdered a man after weeks of inactivity was not something that anyone was overlooking now. Or at least those in the know, which Blake was now one of.

Naturally they were now seeking to find whatever mode of transportation she'd taken to get to her old stomping grounds, but they had decided not to flash her picture to try to find possible witnesses because as soon as they did that, it would get back to Bane. And once Bane knew that they were looking in Talia's direction she'd be out of both the city and the country before nightfall in Gordon's opinion.

Gordon had asked him point blank if he thought Bane was capable of assisting his sister in these murders that morning while they were looking over the video footage. The commissioner had suggested, as kindly as possible, that perhaps Bane might be the answer as to how Talia was able to eliminate men whose physicality and violent natures should have made them formidable opponents. And in all honesty Blake had answered that he could see Bane being complacent and an accessory after the fact, but the murders themselves…no. He didn't think she was sharing any part of hunting her kills with her brother, she had too much pride for that. They wouldn't truly be hers, after all, if she had to ask for help from anyone.

Thankfully Gordon had agreed with him on that point, and had said nothing about trying to use Blake as an informant through Bane. He wouldn't have agreed to let himself be used that way, and Blake hoped that Gordon was smart enough to realize that instead of just bidding his time there.

But the fact remained that he wouldn't be surprised to learn that Bane knew Talia was going around killing people…and he was still dating the teenager.

"To paraphrase Ron Weasley…I need to get my priorities straight."

What he didn't know about Bane couldn't hurt the boy, but it could most certainly hurt him. It could ruin him actually, and not just his career. Because Blake took pride in the fact that he was loyal by nature, and it wasn't in him to betray the confidence of someone he cared deeply for. And that was unfortunately the case where Bane was concerned. People had used and abused that boy all his life, and Blake felt physically ill at the idea of joining those ranks.

And while he'd be able to tell Bane in all honesty that he'd never intended or had used Bane to ultimately put the teenager's sister behind bars, and had told him for that matter…that was going to be a cool comfort for either of them in the hopefully near future. Not even the fact that he'd told Bane straight off the bat that he intended to see Talia put away would change what was and how Bane would feel towards him regardless of his previous cavalier response to the idea of Blake arresting her someday.

Breaking up with Bane now would be the obvious answer, severing those ties before things got even stickier between them. That he didn't want to break up with Bane wasn't the issue here, he was a man who was used to doing what had to be done even if it hurt him. Even if it deprived him of something he both wanted and needed. That he'd decided before that he was going to fight to keep Bane would be meaningless if Bane didn't want to be kept, which the teenager wouldn't if he had a part to play in Talia's downfall even though he was a cop for fuck sakes, and that was his sworn duty. Barsad would get Bane through the breakup and Talia's incarceration, he was sure of that, but still…Blake wished he could talk this over with someone who knew all the players but was separate enough to give an unbiased opinion.

Though basically, in a word, they were all fucked.

)

Blake was that much more convinced that he was royally screwed by the time he headed out to take the bus to Bane's place. Or as close as the bus got to that neighborhood, anyway. And as much as he wasn't looking forward to going to Bane's tonight and having to pretend that he wasn't a mental mess at the moment, it was the pain that had most of his attention for the moment. His left eye was throbbing, the ice pack he was a pressing against the very colorful bruising he was sporting there immediately becoming that much colder thanks to the fact that it was fucking cold out as he exited the building for the night. He probably didn't need the ice at all while he waited for the next bus to come, Blake reasoned with a small shake of his head, still absolutely disgusted with himself for making such a rookie mistake earlier. He knew better than to let his personal life leak into his work. Knew that that was a pretty good way to end up dead given his career and the city he worked in. Sure it had just been a fist in the eye this time…but it could have just as easily been a knife to the head and then he wouldn't have had to worry about Bane because he'd have been very dead.

Of course Bane was going to jump all over him about the black eye, throw it in his face as proof that he wasn't strong or skilled enough to survive on the streets of Gotham without Bane around to babysit him. Which would only make him that much angrier, and before they knew it they'd break up and that would be that.

"What did you do to yourself now?"

Recognizing the voice Blake turned to see Barsad standing a slight distance away, the teenager's arms crossed and a hit of a smirk on the boy's face.

"What are you doing here?"

"Bane asked me to pick you up." Barsad pointed behind him as he stated that the vehicle was that way before asking again about the eye, coming closer now to get a better look.

"Mugger who didn't want to give up his day's cache."

The mugger hadn't even been his to begin with, he'd seen two officers puffing away in an obviously futile attempt to catch the fleet footed thief after finishing an interview related to one of his own cases. He'd given chase himself because it was just embarrassing the way the smug bastard had been hooting and hollering over his easy escape, and it had been the principle of the point. He'd taken the smug bastard down good, too, but had lost some skin on his hands and torn his pants a little at the knee doing it. And it was while he was cursing both those facts because he knew Bane would use those tiny wounds against him in his 'You aren't tough enough to catch real criminals' speech that the mugger had up and punched him, thus giving him an even bigger mark for Bane to call him on.

Fucking Murphy's Law.

The sound Barsad made clearly expressed the opinion that he thought Blake was as weak as Bane seemed to think he was, but at least the teen didn't say so. Instead Barsad just turned around and started walking, motioning for Blake to follow after him which was annoying. But choosing to be the better man Blake didn't comment, reminding himself that riding in a warm car would be light years better than dealing with the bus instead.

Especially since this way there's be less people asking him about his eye, which was one of the worse parts about having a black eye in Blake's books.

Recognizing the car in question on sight, it was the one Bane had given him a lift in before, Blake walked over to it and got in once Barsad undid the lock, thinking only when he was in the process of buckling himself in that he'd just gotten into a vehicle with a notorious gang member without a second thought. And yeah Barsad probably wasn't going to kill him and shove him into a sewer or garbage bin to dispose of his body later…but still…

"Any other wounds to worry about?"

"And you would care about that because…?"

"He cares."

Well that shut Blake up. Well not really, no, because he had to answer Barsad's question now, but the way the teen had said that Bane cared made all the smartass lines Blake had been coming up with to throw at Bane when his boyfriend saw the road rash and black eye…they suddenly seem very childish and assehole in nature to him.

"You just can't stop injuring yourself, can you?"

"These aren't exactly self-inflicted, you know. I was doing my job. And I've had worse than this playing basketball for fuck sakes." Placing the ice pack back over his eye Blake glared at Barsad with the good one.

"You play round ball?"

"I've been known to. Why?"

A shrug. "If you're still around come spring, we'll have to try some one on one."

Gaping in shock at Barsad, Blake didn't know what the hell to say to that. Or all it implied.


	27. A Lesson in Submission

A Lesson in Submission

Having spent a number of hours putting out feelers in regards to his desire to know who 'Miranda' was, Bane was a little surprised that thus far his sources hadn't had much to offer aside from what the cops already knew. All it really did was confirm that his bird's current target was no ordinary woman. Not that he hadn't already figured that out on his own, but Bane found himself torn between wanting answers now and being pleased that he would have to work to find out who she was. It was so much more rewarding when your prey didn't make it pathetically easy to destroy him or her. Though the idea of helping the police turned Bane's stomach, and he was in agreement with the woman that the men she'd killed deserved to die, keeping Robin in one piece was more important. He'd just make sure that he got zero credit for finding the woman, since he'd sooner throw himself off the top of a skyscraper than be known as a cop's weasel. So he'd hunt the woman down, but until he had something concrete to give Robin he'd keep quiet about what he was up to, though if Robin wasn't properly appreciative when he did give him the information Bane would be seriously pissed off.

Having been held up fifteen minutes longer than expected, sometimes being in charge of an underground organization was a real pain in the ass, Bane finally managed to leave the dojo and head up to his apartment. He was not looking forward to seeing the damage his cop had done to himself this time, especially since he couldn't punish the man responsible currently. Barsad had stated in his text that a black eye and some scrapes on his hands were the sum total of Blake's injuries, but his bird would have been fully dressed when Barsad had seen the marks, so it was entirely possible that there were other injuries Robin had 'neglected' to tell Barsad about.

And he and his cop were definitely going to discuss the fact that the cop had been hurt by some pathetic mugger he'd apparently met up with in the course of his day. If Blake couldn't handle himself around a mere street thief then it went without saying that the man wasn't currently strong enough to be going after real criminals or murderers.

That he knew Robin would argue with him about that, until they were both hoarse, in fact, was an irritation Bane was not looking forward to as the elevator doors opened and he stepped out, Bane not bothering to call out since he could hear music coming from the kitchen, suggesting that he'd find his cop there. What he would find Robin making, especially since his fridge and freezer were not filled with foods his Robin would be used to eating, much less cooking with…perhaps they would be having sandwiches for dinner?

Coming to a stop at the doorway leading into the kitchen, Bane took a moment to observe, noting that Robin had taken the time to change out of his uniform before leaving the cop shop, which he didn't always do. The jeans were worn out and hugged Robin's frame beautifully, the simple sweater a little stretched out at the neckline. But he liked that, the stretched material showing a little more of the cop's shoulder than it would have normally. For the moment the man's back was to him, so Bane couldn't see the bruised eye or the damage done to his bird's hands, but he seemed to be using them okay as he washed his hands at the sink, so they must not be paining him much.

"Admiring my ass?"

Smiling a little automatically, Bane agreed that it was worth of admiration, chuckling when the cop wiggled it before glancing over his shoulder in Bane's direction, giving him his first look at the bruising on Robin's face.

Not liking the sight of that one little bit Bane closed the distance between them with long strides that easily ate up the ground until he was standing at Robin's side, his hands reaching out to bookend the bruised face as he turned his cop's head towards him so that he could get a good look at the damage.

"Is this the worst of it?"

"Yes, Mom. Cross my heart and everything."

Giving one of the man's ears a twist for his sass, Bane asked what he wanted for dinner, since he'd apparently been wrong in thinking the man was in the room to throw something together. Unless Robin had already eaten without him, Bane mentally corrected, which would be rude, but somewhat understandable since the idiot had a habit of skipping meals and might not have had any lunch.

"Plated up and staying warm in the oven, I'll have you know."

Raising an eyebrow Bane moved away and opened his stove, rolling his eyes when he saw that there were a few plates currently in there, heaped with Chinese takeout.

"Barsad picked the place and your favorites for you, so no sass from you either, Mister. I'm hungry."

Shaking his head, but opting not to comment since he was hungry too, Bane retrieved oven mitts and pulled the plates out while Robin reached over to turn the oven off for him. Together they carefully carried the plates over to the dining room table and divided up their favorites onto the plates Robin had already set out for them.

He was wearing his mask, Talia's words from earlier still ringing in his head, but he couldn't eat with it on and so Bane undid the straps and set it beside his plate. That it had felt unnatural earlier to be around Blake with it on, and that it now felt right to have it off was troubling, but that was something Bane was determined not to overanalyze as he turned his attention to picking up his chopsticks to help himself to his first bite.

)

It struck Bane, as he took a sip from his water glass a couple minutes later, that this was rather nice. Having someone to come home to, with dinner prepared and someone waiting to share it with him to be exact. Not that he hadn't shared plenty of meals with Robin at this point, he had thanks to the snowstorm, but this was different. This was his space, and Robin hadn't had to procure food for him before coming to see him. He could have reasonably expected that Bane would do that given that he was currently the guest in this situation, but he hadn't.

"Thank you for getting dinner."

A surprised look crossed Robin's face, and then his cop grinned at him with a definite gleam in his eyes. "And I even have a present for you afterwards." A pause. "And I'm not talking about that sort of present either, though that could be on the menu too if you play your cards right."

"A present?"

"You'll see."

Having already learned from Barsad as to how his bird had ended up injured, as well as being well aware that Blake would refuse to discuss the details and leads currently in his possession regarding the 'Miranda Murders', Bane started off the meal's conversation by asking the cop how his day had gone in general. This proved to be a wise move on his part, since apparently the man had spent far too much time dealing with a very annoying defense lawyer earlier, and his bird was eager to complain about her. Plus he naturally shared Robin's distain for lawyers in general, so it was something they could discuss where they weren't likely to disagree too much.

When he was asked about his own day Bane thankfully didn't have to lie, simply omitting a few things as he gave a brief overview of the various training sessions he'd been involved with downstairs. And seeing a perfect way to segue their conversation towards something that needed to be discussed, Bane bluntly asked if Blake would be willing to start his own training that weekend. That he would be trained wasn't up for discussion, but Bane was willing to work around the other man's schedule within reason.

Wearing a reluctantly amused look on his face, Robin didn't argue about his need for training, instead stating what times on each day he would be available, the two working out when he'd show up before the topic turned to just what Bane all planned to teach him.

"Everything."

"Would that include how to make you my slave for life?"

Pausing in the act of using his chopsticks to bring rice to his lips, Bane stared at the amused look he was getting and decided that that didn't even deserve an answer.

"Just asking."

That didn't dignify an answer either. And really, he didn't like where this conversation was going one little bit. Robin wanted him to be his slave? His lackey to order around and make to do his bidding? Treat him however he liked with his own wants and desire meaning nothing? He'd end his own life before he ever allow anyone master over him, and while he would have never thought his bird would ever want, much less suggest a desire to subjugate him…. Had that been the other man's motive all along, playing him all this time with the goal of using him that way?

"Fuck but you're overthinking what I said, aren't you?"

Wary now, Bane watched as Robin pushed back his chair and then came around the table to stand at his side, the cop's tone amused when he asked Bane to turn his chair so that he was facing him. That Robin said please was the only reason Bane complied, though he kept his gaze cool and detached even when his bird moved to settle himself in Bane's lap, face to face.

"So serious looking." Leaning in Robin peppered his face with kisses, a few of them brushing over Bane's lips but the majority just teases that had Bane's hands moving of their own accord to wrap around the cop's waist, though he told himself that was simply because he didn't want the idiot to fall off and hurt himself.

"I didn't mean that I wanted you to be my whipping boy or bitch, Bane. I thought I made my appreciation of your strength obvious by now." To emphasis what he meant Robin dragging his fingers up Bane's arms, appreciating the muscles there and making that clear. "I was teasing about role playing that scenario. That's it. Does the idea of being mine to do with as I please in bed bug you that much?"

Oh. He should have known that that was what his bird was referring to. Why had his mind jumped to conclusions that way? Was it Talia's words from before…or just that he was so used to being used that his mind was trained to go there?

And regardless of his reasons, the idea of being at Robin's mercy in the bedroom did nothing to erase Bane's frown displeasure. The other man already had more control over him than he liked.

"I'll take that as a yes." Chuckling, Robin gave his forehead a kiss like he was a little boy. "That's okay then."

"No real man would enjoy acting the slave to another, even if it was just in the bedroom."

"Ouch. Impinge my manhood like that and not only will you not get your present, but you won't get laid either, Kid."

Surprised, Bane blinked at the man currently smirking at him as he tried to process that. While it was true that his Robin was a bottom, allowing Bane that control over him, his bird was always an active and vocal participant when it came to sex. To say Robin was a very demanding and bossy man in the bedroom was a bit of an understatement, if he was being honest. Capable of submitting, yes, but there was always the knowledge that Robin chose to do so that…oh.

Cocking his head thoughtfully, Bane decided that he rather liked the idea of his bird being his to command in the bedroom. He really liked the idea, actually.

"If you enjoy it then you will be my slave tonight instead."

"That's what you want?"

Nodding, Bane waited to see what his Robin would say to that.

"Okay, just let me finish my dinner."

And so saying Robin slipped off his lap and hurried over to finish what was on his plate, which took the other man no time at all since his bird had was very good at speed eating. That he had some concerns that the man might choke to death on his food at some point because of that speed had been brushed off already.

Turning his attention back to his own food Bane still had about a fifth of his dinner left to consume when his Robin finished his own and came around the table again, repeating as well his request that Bane turn his chair to face him again. Only this time, when Robin was once again comfortably seated in Bane's lap, the older man requested that he gave him his chopsticks.

"Why?"

"So that I can feed you myself."

Blinking both at the strangely both shy and suggestive way Robin was looking and speaking to him, Bane handed over the chopsticks reflexively, brain too busy trying to comprehend how suddenly everything felt different somehow. Like the dynamics of their relationship had shifted in a way he couldn't quite put his finger on.

"Open up."

Accepting the rice he was being offered Bane chewed and then swallowed, his attention focusing on the novelty of being fed this way. And after the first few bites it occurred to him that his hands were now free, leading Bane to slip his hands under his bird's shirt so that he could stroke his fingers over the smooth skin of the other man's back.

)

Not commenting, or saying anything at all, Robin just continued to feed Bane from his plate like it was the most natural thing in the world for him to be doing. His bird wasn't reacting to the hands Bane was moving over his lover's body either, which intrigued Bane since normally his bird made his enjoyment very clear when he was being stroked and petted. Which suggested the role Robin was currently playing meant he couldn't, and that was a challenge he was more than happy to accept. He loved making Robin lose control after all.

"Take off your shirt."

Nodding his head Robin set the chopsticks down and then calmly removed the article of clothing in question, hanging the garment off the back of Bane's chair before retrieving the chopsticks and scooping up more food with them.

Taking what was offered Bane chewed while he returning both his hands to Robin's chest, running his hands possessively over the now bared torso. He could feel his bird's muscles flex and stretch under his fingertips, but his Robin kept his pleasant expression and continued to offer him food that he had to eat while not showing his own annoyance that he wasn't getting the reaction he wanted. Even when he dragged his thumbs along the vee of muscle that disappeared into the man's jeans the cop only tightened his abdomen muscles in response, not making so much as a squeak of noise.

"You're being very annoying."

"Oh? My apologies. How can I please you?" Robin's expression hinted at nothing, but there was a hint of a gleam in his non bruised eye that clued Bane into the fact that he'd been led into this trap like a brainless idiot.

Dammit

"Would you like your dessert now, perhaps?"

Oh yes, trust his little bird to think something sweet and unhealthy would fix everything. If it weren't so childish Bane would have rolled his eyes at the suggestion. But since the sooner they finished eating the better, Bane asked what they had for dessert, planning to skip it and go straight to the bedroom if it was something particularly bad for their health.

"Clementines."

Blinking in surprise, that was his favorite fruit and snack, Bane had the feeling that Barsad had helped Robin plan this meal just a little too well. Not that he was complaining about the choice for dessert, not when it meant a beloved treat that would also benefit them both physically. But what really got him was the fact that apparently Barsad approved of Robin enough to help him pick out food for him. That was very unexpected, and warmed him even though thinking that was a little embarrassing.

To make up for his mushy feelings Bane growled a little as he ordered Robin to go and get dessert.

Inclining his head the other man slipped from Bane's lap and headed back into the kitchen, returning moments later with six celmentines in his hands, which he set down on the table before retaking his seat. And picking up the first one Robin peeled it quickly, setting aside the peel and breaking up the slices before offering the first piece of Bane.

Realizing that Robin intended to continue to feed him Bane leaned in to bite down into the slice, chewing the half he'd bitten off before returning for the second half, deliberately closing his mouth around his cop's fingers while his hands squeezed his lover's ass.

Rhythmically kneading the tight cheeks he intended to get very intimate with later in the evening, Bane concentrated on the fingers he'd trapped carefully between his teeth, nipping at them a little before shifting his attention.

And this time Robin noticeably jerked, the man's gaze glued to Bane's mouth and the way they were currently sucking on his fingers with his tongue making sly appearances to tease and torture him. And when Robin did look up, the darkness of his bird's irises made his pleasure apparent, and Bane that much more determined to enjoy everything being offered him.

Letting the man's now wet fingers slide out of his mouth, Bane waited until Robin had gotten another slice before repeating his earlier actions to similar success. Though this time he kept one hand on Robin's ass and retrieved a slice of the fruit with the other, offering it to Robin this time.


	28. A Morning Meeting

A Morning Meeting

Allowing himself to enjoy his present circumstances for a couple minutes more, Blake took some serious pleasure in the fact that he'd worn Bane right out, the teenager practically dead to the world at the moment. Which was saying something, he thought smugly to himself, since Bane was usually more aware of him and their surroundings even in sleep. And while he'd like to take all the credit, they had had a lot of really excellent sex the night before, but Blake was also pretty sure that Bane hadn't been sleeping so great recently either. Which was fine with him, he actually liked the idea since he hadn't been sleeping so well without the big guy beside him either, since their snow days together.

Looking down at the large hand currently pressed protective over his bare stomach, Blake's thoughts shifted to the fact that their night had not gone the way he'd intended after Bane had accidentally put the idea of some role playing into his head. As it had turned out, Bane did not get the idea of playing when it came to sex. And while he'd thought that putting Bane in charge would be fun, not to mention something his control freak boyfriend would be into, they'd basically finished dessert and gone to bed together to have their usual, regular sex. Bane had made it pretty clear that he had no interest in telling him what he wanted from him in bed. His last order had been for Blake to stop playing around and just behave normally. Ergo, his boyfriend wasn't interested in that particular sort of role playing.

Which he didn't get if that was the case, since Bane liked being in charge and telling him what to do normally. Unless Bane was feeling shy because guy sex was still somewhat new to him, that could be it too. So maybe they'd need to talk about it, Blake mentally decided, if he got the vibe that it had bothered Bane, what he'd suggested. Or he'd leave it if Bane was fine, play it by ear. But either way he needed to get his ass moving, and lying here all snuggly and warm with Bane under the quilt he'd gotten him was not going to make leaving any more easier.

With a sigh Blake started to wiggle careful out from under the arm holding him in place, grinning when he succeeded without waking Bane up. Yeah, he'd definitely worn the poor kid right out. And however wrong it was, Bane was a teenager so he was pretty proud of that. Good to know he still had it.

Shaking his head over his thoughts, who said a man got smarter with age, Blake quickly dressed and then headed out of the bedroom and down the hallway, his destination the closet holding his coat. And he was almost there when he belatedly remembered the present he'd teased Bane about before. The one he'd never gotten around to giving the teenager, as they'd been otherwise occupied with the whole screwing his brains out thing last night.

Grinning, Blake changed direction and scooped up the bag in question from its former hiding place. Retrieving the yellow and purple polka dot gift bag from the larger bag, he had to get his kicks somehow after all, Blake carried the smaller bag with him as he headed for the kitchen, leaving the surprise on the counter where he was sure Bane would see it when he finally woke up. He was tempted to leave it in the teen's bedroom, but didn't want to risk Bane waking up and lecturing him about leaving on foot while it was still dark outside. A fight was not a great way to start the morning, especially since there would definitely not be time for make-up sex.

Which would be necessary, Blake thought with a frown, since they were already on slightly shaky ground thanks to Bane behaving like an emotionally stunted teenager earlier, and not calling him until it suited him for so long. Like they weren't a couple who were still finding their footing too. Because yeah, they weren't a regular couple, and even if they were it wasn't that unusual for couples to not be together for a week or more when schedules and work got in the way, but that was no excuse for Bane brushing him off like that without even a real explanation as to why.

Men. If they weren't so much hotter and sexier than women, Blake would be a little sorry he wasn't bi or straight.

Getting annoyed just thinking about it, especially since he would much rather in bed instead of leaving right now, Blake did his best to think about something else since he'd rather start the day out in a positive frame of mind. And he succeeded for the most part, especially when he imagined Bane's reaction to the gift within the gift bag. He was sorry he wouldn't be around to see the kid's reaction, but that couldn't be helped. He had places to go and people to see.

Retrieving his coat and putting it on as quickly as possible, Blake took the elevator down to the main floor and then exited the building through a side door since the main one would still be locked up at this hour. The side door opened up into an alleyway, which was empty and surprisingly clean; or at least the niceness of it would have surprised Blake if he hadn't known who owned the building that made up one of the alley's walls. No one would dare litter or tag any of these walls anytime soon.

Blowing into the air just to see the white puffs his breath made, he'd always loved doing that ever since he was a kid, Blake jammed his hands into his pockets and started walking out of the alley and then onto the street, which was eerily deserted. But it was only a little after six, Blake reminded himself, and most people would be fast asleep at this hour. The people who worked nights wouldn't be coming home yet, and the ones doing morning shifts had probably already left given the crappy bus system in this area of the city. Too dangerous in the eyes of those in charge of the bus routes and such probably, especially when it was going to be dark and relatively deserted out.

His own time on the streets meant Blake wasn't afraid, he was simply alert and ready to retrieve the gun in his coat pocket if need be. Out here saying he was a cop wouldn't protect him, though saying he was Bane's probably would.

But as he had too much pride to use that 'get out of harm's way card' unless absolutely necessary, he didn't want to use the gun after all, Blake hoped he'd get to the nearest bus stop without trouble even as he remained mentally and physically prepared if the worst happened.

And it was a good thing he didn't think the hour and his probably well known connection to Bane would keep him safe, Blake only got as far as two and a half blocks before his gut started kicking up a fuss even though he heard nothing to alert him to the source of the danger. He didn't see anything either, or feel eyes on him for that matter. Only his gut said he was in danger, and that he trusted more than any other sense he possessed. It had kept him alive this long.

The cause of his unease didn't reveal himself until almost another block, the threat somehow getting ahead of him and then coming out from a dark alley situated between what looked like two long abandoned stores, the stranger dressed in black motioning for him to come with him into that darkness.

Automatically Blake started logging the details in case he needed to relay them later, a male, six foot two from the looks of him, and while the bulky winter clothing the man was wearing made weight and physic hard to judge, Blake was betting the man was in excellent shape under his layers. Unfortunately he was so bundled up Blake couldn't get a better lock on age or ethnicity, but maybe he could get close enough to get a better look without compromising his own safety.

And not being an idiot Blake knew that following the man into the alley could very likely be a death sentence, especially since there could be more men waiting in there to prey on what they likely saw as an easy threat. Even the fact that the man might know of his connection to Bane wasn't necessarily a good thing, since Blake would bet quite a bit that his boyfriend had enemies coming out the wazoo, even in his own territory.

"You want to talk we can do that out here."

A short staring contest, and then the figure moved in closer so that there was only a couple of feet between them, Blake figuring early twenties was a definite now, and this guy was definitely from the streets. It was written all over both of them at the moment.

"You want to know more about Miranda you'll come. Your choice, Pretty Boy."

Having thrown down his gauntlet so to speak, the man turned on his heels and started walking away with long, powerful strides that had more than enough predator in them to set off numerous alarms in Blake's head. But at the same time, if this was really about Miranda…he did believe Talia was working alone. That she wasn't sharing the pleasure of her hunts or kills with anyone else. She was too selfish for that. And maybe this guy was a friend of a victim, Blake considered, or feared he might be next for some reason. Just because the man was dangerous didn't necessarily mean he was dangerous to Blake in this particular instance. And most people, especially in these neighborhoods, didn't advertise that they were ratting people out to the cops. That was a good way to get killed unless you were already seen as being of that sort and willing to play for both sides. So wanting to hide their meeting made sense in that way.

Pulling out his gun, though he kept it loosely at his side as he did what he had to do, Blake started after the man while keeping his eyes open for trouble as he mentally prayed that he wouldn't end up dead in an alley, as so many had predicted he would when he'd been a teenager.

)

The closer he got to the alley the more Blake's feelings of unease rose, especially since it was so dark, the lights from the streets hardly providing any light at all in the slim space. Though the man was standing just inside the alleyway, so maybe he could just lean against the outside wall. Make it look like he was just hanging out while the man spoke to him from the anonymity of the alley. That could work. And yeah he didn't have a lot of money of bribe with, but he had a decent amount and hopefully he could-

The unknown male was so fast, the grab for his gun hand executed so quickly that Blake didn't see the move until it was too late. He had only a split second to recognize he was an idiot before he was being literally thrown into the alley by his arm, making the other man's strength brutally apparent.

About the only good thing was that he managed to keep his gun in hand the whole time he was in the air, and that when he hit ground his fall was cushioned slightly by the snow that had built up there and been ignored.

But Blake had hardly come to a stop when his right wrist was pinned to the filthy ground he was lying on, the booted foot pressing down hard to try and make him let go of his gun, though not using enough force to break bone just yet. The fact that the other man was armed and was now pointing a gun at his head had Blake's sole focus though, which helped make it easier to refuse to let go of his weapon even as the pressure on his wrist started to increase.

"Should have stayed out of her business, Bitc-Holy Shit!"

In a flash the foot was off his wrist and the man was backing up ever so slowly, his eyes focusing solely on the darkness behind them before the man's body stopped and shifted into a stance that Blake immediately recognized. This guy wasn't just some street fighter punk. He'd had real training at some point.

Risking it, the man's attention wasn't even on him, Blake let his neck fall back so that he could see what new threat approached, his eyes going huge as he just made out the nature of the shape that had detached itself from the shadows and was walking in their direction.

Batman

Like a total idiot, in Blake's opinion, the man who'd attacked him suddenly charged forward, Blake rolling out of the way until his side connected with cement wall. But he scrambled up to a crouching position immediately, not about to miss a moment of what was to come as the two other men collided in front of him.

Oh yes, the unknown man was skilled, his fighting style reminding Blake of footage he'd seen of Batman's previous fights even though those were usually over so quick it was a rare thing for any camera to capture just how incredible a fighter Blake's hero actually was, aside from the sheer number of bad guys he could take down at one time.

And as the two faced off Blake suddenly had no doubt that these two had at least a couple martial art disciplines in common, their fighting techniques not only similar, but it was obvious they were anticipating each other's moves because they knew how to read the other so quickly. Either way this was no street brawl but a haunting, deadly beauty of a dance that had Blake not even considering using the gun he still had to break the fight up. They were moving too fast even without the limited space they were working with after all, and Batman had this anyway. He believed.

Moments later a roundhouse kicked by the unknown man was attempted, a hint of ice or just the slipperiness of snow making the man's other foot slide just enough to put him slightly off balance. And just like that the Batman was in his opponent's personal space, delivering four quick punches to the man's head that caused said head to whip back and forth like a bobble head with ever blow.

Then the other man was down on the ground. Still and silent. But breathing.

"Nice."

His gaze moving from his prey for the moment Batman said nothing, simply looking in his direction with unblinking eyes.

Using the wall for support as he got to his feet, Blake held the older man's gaze as he reminded himself that he really would die of embarrassment if he squealed or gushed over the man like a teenage girl. Plus it wasn't like they hadn't met before; even if it was just so much different here and now.

"Thank you. For your help."

"Your behavior has been rather dangerous lately, don't you think?"

The idea that Batman paid him even the slightest attention, well Blake figured he could be forgiven for getting a little light headed and squeaking a little as he stuttered out a response. "I'm…I'm investigating the Miranda Murders."

"And you thought he knew something?"

"He said he did."

A pause, the man's stare seeming to see right through him. "He's Bane's."

Bane's?

Understanding, Blake's gaze whipped over to look at the man lying on the ground, his thoughts scrambling as he was torn between the question of why the man would attack, and who had given him orders. If he had been given orders. But he had said that he should have stayed out of HER business. Talia. Talia had sent him. Over his relationship with Bane maybe, or did she know that he knew what she had done? Or had his attacker just said 'her' to throw him off the scent, hiding the real enemy by making him think that 'Miranda' wanted him dead. But if the intent had been to kill him, which Blake was pretty sure had been the end game, why bother to lie or beat around the bush about his motives? He wouldn't have been seen as a threat that could potentially get away from them and Batman showing up was a fluke.

"According to police records you're with Bane of your own volition."

"Yes, Sir."

A hint of lips quirking in amusement, and then a very serious, somehow sad feel cloaked the literally cloaked figure for a moment, before Batman's whole face was one unreadable mask. "He and I had the same teacher, and he is far more dangerous than anyone knows. I barely escaped his guardian's influence, and I was a man, not a child."

"Wait…so if he teaches me to fight I'll fight like you?" And realizing how that sounded Blake could feel his cheeks and ears flame red. "Sorry. It's just…you're…I'm a big fan. And an idiot. Sorry."

A distant, distant cousin to a chuckle escaped the man's lips.

"I'm looking into the Miranda murders. Do you know anything?" Blake was pretty sure that his hero would have alerted Gordon if he knew anything important, but he didn't want to talk about his stupidity where Bane was concerned at the moment. Plus there was probably no point in trying to learn more about the man's training with Talia's father, or whatever else Batman might know about that family and their underworld connections.

The way his hero had said that he barely escaped the man's influence, there had been a wealth of old wounds in that statement.


	29. A Wake Up Call

Note: A shout out to Wazzup, who had the idea of the award for Bane lol. I loved the idea and didn't forget it.

A Wake Up Call

Bane was not a happy camper when he woke up to discover that his little bird wasn't in his bed like he should have been. And that was before he looked over at the clock to see what time it was, Bane's fury building like a volcano over the idea that the idiot had gone out into his neighborhood while it was still dark out. Was the man trying to get himself killed? In the dark his cop wouldn't be easily recognized as Bane's, and a strung out drug addict or someone with nothing to lose but his life would see Robin as an easy mark to mug or just hurt for the hell of it.

Kicking off his blankets bad temperedly Bane dressed quickly, the addition of his mask a deliberate choice on his part, and then he went stomping out of his room to make absolutely sure that Robin wasn't still in his apartment somewhere before he called the idiot and made Robin stay on the line until he was safely on a bus home. Or he could get in his car and pick the idiot up; Bane considered thoughtfully, that would be better and would give him a chance…

The light in his kitchen was such a relief Bane took a moment to wallow in his relief that the idiot hadn't gone out after all, his eyes closing and body relaxing for a few heartbeats before he got angry all over again that he'd overreacted so ridiculously to the idea of Robin having left earlier. That he had let himself care so much about Robin's safety and wellbeing that the idea of the other man in danger made his blood run cold and a fear he wasn't used to feeling anymore grabbing him by the throat and refusing to let go. The knowledge of that was like lead in his gut.

Robin made him weak, damn him.

And it was with that thought firmly lodged in his head that Bane marched into his kitchen with plenty to say, the sight of Barsad, not Robin making tea bringing him to a grinding halt.

"What are you doing here? Where is he?"

"Do you want to start with the good, bad, or worst news? Take a seat by the way. Your tea's almost done."

Trusting that Barsad was serious about the sitting down, Bane did as asked, his gaze remaining on Barsad the whole time which was when he noticed the gift bag that was resting on the counter to his second's left side. "What's with the gift bag?"

"I'm guessing your cop left that for you. He had it on him last night."

Remembering that Robin had mentioned something about having a gift for him before supper, Bane decided that that must be it, though what it was he neither knew nor cared. "Where is he?"

"Safe. At the police station I would imagine."

Aware that his cop shouldn't be working this early, and he would have woken up if Robin had been called in, Bane knew that something had happened that had required Robin's presence at the station. "Another murder?"

"No." A slight pause, Barsad seeming to debate a moment with himself as to how to proceed before the other man turned around and walked over to set the mug of tea in front of Bane. Only then did he answer the question properly. "Stefan attacked your cop this morning. Pulled him into an alley a short distance from here. The Batman showed up before he could do any damage aside from some bruises. The cops have him now."

"The Batman?" Bane bit off the name like it was the foulest of words, the mere mention of the man overshadowing the rest of his thoughts for a moment, before he could think about the fact that Stefan was one of his top students. The man knew what Bane would do to him if he harmed a hair on Robin's head. He'd made it clear to all his men they weren't to go near the cop.

"I don't know what The Batman was doing in our territory or what he saw or did while he was here. What I do know is that Blake was walking down the street when Stefan came out of the alleyway between the pawn shop on eighth and Shumakers's. He motioned for Blake to come with him, and when Blake got within grabbing range Stefan threw him into the alley and followed after him. Before Stefan could do any damage The Batman appeared and knocked Stefan out. I got there while Batman warned Blake off you, I stayed hidden and simply listened in and observed until the police car Blake called in arrived to pick him and Stefan up. As no one has contacted us I'm guessing Stefan either hasn't regained conscious yet, or he doesn't want you to know what he's done." A peeved look crossed Barsad's face. "I tried to track the Bat to see where he went afterwards, but he got away from me. I apologize for my failure."

"Why would he attack him?"

"Talia."

The head Bane had lowered in thought whipped up as he met Barsad's cool gaze. "What?"

"The reason I was in the area was because I knew that Stefan had arranged to take Luke's shift guarding this area. It was last minute, Stefan used his seniority to muscle in to take the shift according to Luke. I only knew about it because I spotted Stefan patrolling when I left here for the night. It's a shit shift, Stefan is not a night owl, and I knew that your cop was here. That made me suspicious of his reasons. I staked out the building so that if Stefan made a move against Blake I'd be there, and I started to follow Blake out when he left without you this morning. I wasn't close enough to stop him when Stefan approached him because I got a call on my cell; it was Marcus reporting that he thought he'd seen The Bat near his apartment building. I was focused on getting the details, and Blake got a block ahead of me. I'll accept whatever punishment you deem fit for my failure. "

The tea remained untouched in front of him, Bane having no doubt that he'd shatter it in his hands if he picked it up. And logically Bane understood what Barsad was saying to him, and even got what the other man wasn't saying because this was Talia they were talking about.

"Stefan isn't stupid, Bane. He knew that beating or killing your cop would be a death sentence at your hands. And I'm guessing kill here, since the odds of his actions going undiscovered and unpunished would increase severely if there was no body or witnesses to trace back to him. But we'd hunt for answers, and he had to know we wouldn't stop. Who else would he risk that for?"

They both knew the answer to that question. Talia. Stefan was obsessed with her, to the point of being slavishly devoted to her. Bane had made it clear he'd disarticulate every bone in the older man's body if he dared to try anything with her, Stefan was six years older than Talia was, but that didn't change the fact that if Talia said jump Stefan wouldn't even ask how high. He'd just do it. Talia had all the power, and Bane wasn't blind to the fact that she'd used it in the past. Knew that she saw Stefan as her lackey to order around when she wanted something done.

"You believe she gave him orders to kill him. Why?"

"Fear of his influence. That he could change you in ways that would interfere with her plans for you. Or even just because he's a cop and sees her for the danger she is."

"She knows my first loyalty is to her."

"But should it be?"

Glaring at Barsad, refusing to even acknowledge the possibility that his friend might be right about Stefan and Talia, Bane was about to tell Barsad that when he got his hands on Stefan, and he would make sure that that happened very, very soon, he'd find out exactly why the man had decided to become suicidal when Barsad's next question broadsided him.

"What's 'The Wall Challenge'?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Check out your gift."

Scowling at the gift bag Barsad retrieved and then pushed across the table towards him, Bane automatically reached in and shifted through the tissue paper to pull out what turned out to be a plaque. One that commemorated his successful completion of 'The Wall Challenge', his name and the date engraved underneath it.

And while it took a moment, Bane figured out pretty quickly what the award was for.

He went as red as a tomato and refused to tell Barsad why.

)

Nearly two hours later Bane still couldn't believe that Robin had actually given him a plaque for fucking him against every wall in his cop's apartment while they were stuck there during the snowstorm. Thankfully the shock and embarrassment he felt over the award was mostly being overshadowed by anger that he hadn't been allowed near Stefan, who had refused to see him. And since he wasn't a cop he couldn't make the cops obey him or work it that one of the cops in his pocket could arrange for him to speak to the bastard privately for a bit. He'd find a way of course, there was no doubt in Bane's mind there, but for now Stefan was choosing to remain behind bars rather than see him.

And just to make his morning that much worse Robin had either given orders for the other cops to say he wasn't in the building or Robin really had given his statement as to what had happened before Bane had arrived, and then left. Either way no one was willing to tell him where his bird was, and the little shit had ignored all his texts after the first response that had informed him that he was fine.

"Hey! Kid! Hold up!"

Bane kept walking, ignoring the calls for some child to stop until the voice went from ordering a kid around to actually saying his name, Bane realizing that the man who'd been yelling behind him had most likely been referring to him as kid this whole time. And while he would tolerate that from Robin to a certain extent Bane would not be referred to that way by anyone else.

Turning around to make that clear Bane's eyes were issuing cold death threats even before he recognized the man coming towards him. Robin's ex. The one who had put the moves on his bird in the stairwell, and had been allowed to protect Robin against the Bloods when Bane had been kept in the dark about the operation Robin had set up.

"You're surprisingly fast for such a big guy."

"And you're as slow as most of your kind. Especially if you think there won't be consequences if you call me 'Kid' one more time."

Raised eyebrows were the only reaction the older man gave to both of Bane's statements, the cop impressing Bane ever so slightly by actually holding his gaze and getting within reach of him. Bane could just reach out and the man would be dead, no weapon or effort required. And he had the sense the man knew it, or at least recognized the danger he could pose at a later date when they weren't in a cop shop with a number of the man's colleagues watching them from the sidelines.

"I'm Sergeant Scott Green. I'm a friend of your…boyfriend."

"I know who you are. And what you are." And since he was in a bad mood, and he might as well work some of it off now, Bane took a step closer, aware that all around them other cops tensed up in preparation to leap to Green's defense if he were to attack. But he didn't, instead speaking in a low voice meant only for his opponent's ears. "You're the coward and fool who let MY Robin slip through your fingers."

Body stiffening, Bane saw first shock and then a mixture of fear and trepidation in the other man's eyes.

"Stay away from what's mine, and watch how you refer to me, or you will not like how I retaliate."

And considering the matter closed Bane turned back around to start walking towards the exit, dismissing Green like he was nothing. Which was exactly what the gutless man was in Bane's opinion, and something he hoped he'd made perfectly clear to the bastard who'd thought to take his bird from him before he could claim him weeks ago.

But however gutless and cowardly the man was when it came to his sexuality, Bane had to admit that when it came to his personal safety Green didn't lack nerve as the man came stomping after him, though Bane noted the man waited until they were both outside and facing the stairs before saying his name again.

Don't want your cop friends hearing what we're talking about, do you, Bane silently taunted with his eyes when he turned around to face the man once more, genuinely curious about what the man wanted badly enough to demand an audience with him twice.

"State your business and then leave, Sergeant. I have better things to do with my time then speak to you."

"Do you wear that mask to scare the shit out of people or to hide the fact that you're a pretty boy underneath it?" The cop quirked his lips into a surprisingly young and charming grin. "I looked you up, Bane, so I've seen your pre mask pictures. You were a cute kid."

Scowling, Bane forced himself not to state that he wasn't a pretty boy because that would only lead to a childish argument, not to mention a pointless one. Hence the fact that he didn't answer the question, instead stating that if that was all the other man wanted to discuss they were done speaking.

"I want to talk to you about Blake, actually."

"He is none of your concern."

"Says you?"

"Yes."

"You're possessive of him, but that doesn't tell me shit in the long run. I figure you're smart enough that you aren't sleeping with him because you think he could be another cop in your pocket, and you could find someone on your side of the law if it was just about the sex. So I figure it's about him, because he's one of a kind and you see that, but how serious you are about a relationship with him, that I don't know. Because he's going to face a shit ton of professional opposition and hostility for dating you if this thing between you two have continues, and it will only get worse the longer you're together if you don't turn over a new leaf."

"Who he dates is none of your concern."

"Yeah, and I figure you have the brains to figure out he's not with you just because he has a thing for men in masks. You aren't Batman though, and I don't want to see him hurt because he's so busy seeing your potential that he overlooks what you're doing with your life."

The insinuation that Robin was interested in him because the man had a thing for men who wore masks stung a little, especially since Batman was a sore subject for him on the best of days, but Bane quickly reminded himself that Robin hated his mask and was constantly trying to get him to take it off. His mask was definitely not on the pro side of the reasons his cop dated him.

"Blake would not thank you for interfering."

"No, he wouldn't. But I like him too much to keep my mouth shut. He deserves the best, and I don't think that's you. Right?"

"He is mine." Bane spoke the words with absolute certainty. "You can't take him from me."

"True enough. Blake's the type who's loyal to the bone. But you should also know that he isn't big on second chances when it comes to his personal life. Or letting people back in after they've hurt him. You give him reason to pull away from you, and I figure it's only a matter of time before that happens, and he'll be fair game again."

A number of responses to that came to mind, but Bane forced them all down and instead chose his next words very carefully. "Is that all you wanted to say?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Then we have nothing more to say to each other."

"Guess not."

And this time it was the cop's turn to turn around and walk away from him, or at least that was what Bane assumed the man had done since he'd turned around as well, not wanting to look into the cop's knowing gaze a moment longer.

His cell phone going off like Robin had known he was thinking about him, Bane retrieved it from his pocket and recalled the text message to see it was an invitation to get together for lunch if Bane was available. Apparently Blake would be in his area around one if he was interested.

Quickly Bane typed out an inquiry as to why Blake would be in his part of the city, not liking the sound of that one little bit. If his bird was safely in his territory that was one thing, but the area just around his territory, where lines were disputed and those who wanted his territory lived…he didn't want his bird anywhere near there. Not that his own territory was as safe as it should have been, especially since he hadn't been able to get ahold of Stefan yet to make an example of the bastard.

'I'm visiting all the Miranda Murders crime scenes. See if anything was missed or someone's remembered something. So are we meeting, yes or no?'

Not having to think about it Bane sent a message stating that as soon as Blake was near the murder scene closest to Bane's territory he was to message Bane immediately. He'd meet him there.

'Another pair of eyes would be good. See you then.'


	30. Things To Teach You

Things To Teach You

Crouching down in the alleyway, the scents of garbage and decay thick in the air and not at all unfamiliar, Blake blocked it all out with ease as he stared at the space around him, his eyes searching for some clue or abnormality that he'd somehow failed to notice the last time he was here. He'd found nothing at any of the other murder scenes he'd visited, but he'd pretty much resigned himself to that fact before he'd started looking. Still…given the standstill they were currently at with the case while other things were in motion, he'd needed something to do involving this case, and this had seemed like the best idea since he couldn't do what he wanted to. Talia was, for the moment, out of his reach.

Sensing a change in the air, in the energy that he'd tuned into to keep aware of any approaching dangers, Blake didn't bothered to look up or over, knowing already who'd come to join him in the alley.

"It's not safe for you to be here alone, even during the day."

"Underestimating me again?"

"As you underestimate the dangers here."

Straightening up, he might as well face the stubborn ass head on, Blake turned to angle his body so that he could meet Bane's gaze squarely. His man was wearing the mask of course, he'd heard the damn thing distorting Bane's voice after all, but the sight of it annoyed Blake on some fundamental level even more than it normally did. Ripping it off and tossing it into the nearest pile of trash sounded awesome to him right about now.

But since Bane was already obviously in a shitty mood, and his lover was unnaturally attached to his mask, Blake worked up a smile as he crossed his arms in front of him, hoping the conflicting body language would annoy the hell out of the man. "You do realize I've walked these streets longer than you've been alive, right?"

"After the morning and afternoon I've had, it would be very unwise for you to throw my age in my face today."

Eyebrows rising in question, Blake was tempted to ask just what had happened to make Bane this annoyed. But he had a feeling his curiosity would not end well for him today, and this was not a safe place for them to lose themselves in a fight. Especially since Bane would have drawn a heck of a lot more unwanted attention from the locals than he had. Cops weren't popular around here for obvious reasons, but Bane even less so in some quarters.

"Do you see anything here that strikes you by any chance?" Bane was the observant sort after all.

"No."

"Me neither. She's good. Damn good. I'll give the bitch that." Scanning the space one last time, just in case, Blake's attention went automatically back to Bane when the man asked if he was going to mention what happened this morning any time soon.

"Why? I'm pretty sure I saw Barsad lurking in the shadows. He told you what happened, right?"

"You saw him?"

"I did." Actually, he was pretty sure that the teenager had meant for Blake to see him as he was leaving so that he'd know Bane would be made aware of things. Not that he was going to mention that to him since judging from Bane's tone he was impressed that Blake had managed to spot his second. He needed to impress Bane as much as possible before the idiot tried to buy a human hamster ball and shove him into it 'for his own good'.

Though it would be fun for a couple of hours.

"You're not going to ask me why I sent one of my men to attack you?"

"You didn't send him. The fucker made that clear before he got his ass handed to him. I think we both know who sent him to take me out." When Bane said nothing Blake just smiled. "How is your sister, by the way?"

Bane's eyes narrowed, his posture and body language aggressive as he came over to stand in front of Blake, his bulk making him seem to tower over him. "Did he say that Talia sent him?"

"Are you saying that you have such little control over your men that someone other than your sister would dare to order one of your men to attack me? Or do you think that he fears you so little that Stefan would attack and try to kill what's yours without significant incentive?"

The growl that seeped through Bane's mask made it clear his points had struck home and Bane really, really didn't like that fact.

"So sure I didn't order him to teach you some manners?"

Recognizing a gauntlet thrown, Blake took the step forward to bring them chest to chest. "Are you saying you aren't man enough to do that yourself?"

If looks really could kill he'd be writhing in agony on the ground right about now, but since they couldn't Blake just met the fierceness of Bane's gaze head on and refused to be intimidated. He was a cop, for fuck sakes, he could hold his own no matter who he was up against in a staring match. What he felt on the inside didn't mean shit so long as it didn't show, and Blake held onto his cop face for all it was worth as they glared at each other, waiting for the other to speak or act out.

When Bane's hand came up and his fingers wrapped around his neck, squeezing in a threatening but not actually dangerous manner, Blake almost lost his game face, years of being an assehole Gotham hood coming into play as he automatically tilted his chin up in a show of defiance while smirking challengingly.

"So did you like your present?"

Blink. Another blink. And then slowly awareness and disbelief replaced the cold violence that had been lurking in Bane's eyes a moment before.

"You're asking me that now?"

"Well I was expecting at least a blow job in thanks, but that mask of yours does tend to get in the way, doesn't it?"

A telling pause. "Why has no one killed you yet?"

"My dimples." Blake flashed them for emphasis.

Looking less than impressed with him or his dimples, Bane just stared at Blake for several heartbeats before withdrawing his hand, letting it fall back to his side. And then making a sound of disgust Bane looked away from him, his thoughts and emotions hidden as he collected himself. Or mentally debated the best way to kill a Gotham cop in broad daylight outside his territory. That could be it too.

"You get under my skin like no one else ever has."

Bane had muttered the words, but Blake was pretty sure he'd heard him right, the sentiment made him smile since that was precisely what he wanted to do. He wouldn't get anywhere if Bane kept him at arm's length the way he did pretty much everyone else.

"That wasn't a compliment."

"I'll take it as one if I want."

Taking advantage of the fact that Bane had turned to face him again Blake placed his hands on the man's coat covered stomach and dragged his hands up until they were resting on Bane's shoulders while he fit the rest of their bodies together. "You didn't send him to hurt me."

"No." A huff of exasperation, possibly for both of them.

"So since I'm not going to end up dead in an alley just yet, can we leave now? Places like this don't need long to make you smell just as rancid. I'd rather not smell like I visited the Bog of Eternal Stench, if it's all the same to you."

"The what?"

"Right, before your time. I will explain."

)

Ten minutes later Blake walked out of the café with his steaming cup of hot chocolate, which he cradled between his hands to warm them up in the cold afternoon air. He'd intended to take Bane out to lunch, but the man had shot that idea down hard so the drink was a compromise, since he needed something to tide him over until he could get a meal somewhere. And as an added treat Bane was waiting for him outside as promised despite the earlier arguing, and walking over to him Blake grinned as he came to a stop, taking a sip of the surprisingly decent chocolate before waving the cup in front of Bane's face. "Are you sure that you don't want me to go back in there and get you a cup? They have marshmallows."

Rather than be amused, as Blake had intended, Bane glared at him.

"Don't treat me like a kid."

"Hey, anyone sane likes marshmallows in their hot chocolate. It has nothing to do with being a kid."

"Robin." Bane's tone said it all.

Not impressed in the least, Blake rolled his eyes and gave Bane's side a hip check as they automatically started walking since it was too fucking cold out to stay still. "Bane, if I really thought of you as a kid I wouldn't have given you an award today commemorating you fucking my brains out against walls. We wouldn't be having sex period. That you're only nineteen, well obviously that's a problem for both of us. We both wish that you were older, but that's not something we can really change."

"Nineteen makes me an adult. The United Nations defines child as "a human being below the age of eighteen years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier."

"And according US Immigrant Law a child is anyone under the age of twenty one." Blake shot back, just to be contrary. "But at the end of the day what's important is the fact that I'm not breaking the law by sleeping with you. Cops don't do well in prison."

"You wouldn't last a day."

"I resent that."

The mask hid it, but Blake could hear the smirk in Bane's voice as he informed him that in street years he was much older than him.

"Yeah, yeah, you have more badass street cred than I do. Okay?"

"Yes."

Delighted in him, though he wasn't exactly sure why, Blake linked arms with Bane, moving closer to his boyfriend's side. And he dropped the subject, concentrating on just enjoying his hot chocolate and the fact that they were together and he wasn't in the hospital or in a body bag. Or rotting in some garbage heap, since Blake was guessing Talia had given orders for his body not to be found. Or at least not all of it.

"I went to your cop shop to find you."

"Trying to get ahold of Stefan, hmm?"

"Yes."

Knowing how that would have gone, they wouldn't have let Bane near Stefan even if the other man had consented to see him, Blake opted not to comment on that and the fact that he got the 'Kid' sensitivity now. His fellow cops had probably said something, or multiple somethings knowing them. Especially since pretty much everyone knew that Bane was dating him and had an opinion on the matter.

And that being the case, Blake tried to lightened the mood a little since it was him and his fellow cops that had ruined the teen's mood. "If it makes you feel better, I'm not mad at you about the whole attempt on my life thing. Especially since I got to meet the Batman in person." It was on the tip of his tongue to add how totally his hero had owned Bane's man, but that would be pouring salt on his wounds.

"As a cop you're supposed to arrest vigilantes."

"Are you saying I'm badass enough to take the Bat on by myself?"

"No."

Blake snorted, unsurprised. Though with that kind of opening…

"So since you think I'm too weak for the streets, and it would reflect pretty badly on you to have a weak boyfriend who can't defend himself, what's say we get together tomorrow and you start making me as badass as you and the Bat, huh? I promise to pay you with lots of sex."

"You won't be up to sex when I'm training you."

"Well that's depressing." And called for more chocolate, since Blake figured he needed the comfort now that he'd gotten used to having somewhat regular sex again. Yeah there kept being gaps in between their meetings, but the quality of the sex always made up for that.

Bane made a sound of agreement, his eyes laughing at him when Blake looked over at him.

"Do I at least get full body massages afterwards?"

"Perhaps."

Pleased, Blake finished off his hot chocolate and let go of Bane's arm so that he could walk over to dump the empty cup in the trash before coming back over to his side, taking his hand this time in his. "Is this going to be harm your rep too much, Big Guy?"

"No."

And Bane squeezed his hand back.

Swinging the hand he held a little, even though it made him want to roll his eyes at himself, Blake stated that they were on for tomorrow, and what did Bane have planned for the rest of his day.

"Nothing set in stone. Why?"

"I still have a couple more sites to check out. And if we aren't doing lunch then I need to grab something and head out to the next place. I am technically working right now, you know."

"I'll come with you."

"Okay. You can be my expert civilian consultant then. After I eat."

A pause, and then Bane said he knew a shawarma place nearby that was really good.

"Excellent."

Still hand in hand they'd gone nearly a block when Bane oh so casually asked if Batman had mentioned what he was doing in Bane's territory in the first place.

"Nope." Which was true, especially since the majority of their conversation had centered around his hero advising him to be very careful where Bane was concerned, and then Blake filling the older man in on his suspicions where Talia was concerned. It couldn't hurt to keep him in the loop, and his hero had promised to keep an eye out for her. Apparently her family tree was more than enough to convince the older man that she could be responsible despite her age and outward appearance.

"And he overpowered Stefan easily?"

"It was sad, really. Or it would have been if Stefan hadn't been about to kill me. But yeah, your boy's ass was OWNED." Oops, he hadn't meant to say that.

Bane's less than thrilled expression, well Blake was feeling sheepish enough to give his boyfriend his most innocent of looks in return. Which was to say that the both knew it wasn't innocent in the slightest, but Blake knew Bane would like the flash of dimples, if nothing else.

But still, one of Bane's men had tried to kill him that morning, and there was a chance Stefan wouldn't be the only one Talia sent after him. Bane wasn't the only one who could fish for some information, and it would be nice to know just how much danger he was potentially in at the moment. "Is Stefan one of your mid-range fighters? Or are you and Barsad the only ones who might make the Bat work for a win?"

"The Bat is highly skilled. There are very few in this city who are his equal. But I am one of them." The words were said grudgingly, like Bane would sooner have his teeth pulled out without anesthesia than admit the other man wasn't just a wannabe superhero.

"Well I'd prefer the two of you play nice together, FYI."

Lengthening his stride Bane let go of his hand and walked over to a door, holding it open for him while giving him a look that said he shouldn't hold his breath on the whole him getting along with the Batman thing.

"Big surprise there." Blake muttered under his breath, making it a point to retake Bane's hand in his as soon as they were both inside the shwarma place.

)

An hour later Blake leaned back against the brick wall behind him and watched Bane scan the dead end alleyway they were currently in. He hadn't seen anything new worth making a note about, but this was the second site Bane had visited and he was curious to see if there was something that would stand out for the teenager that they might have missed. Of course it went without saying that if Bane saw something that pointed towards Talia being the culprit the man wouldn't tell him, but Blake figured it was worth risking. Though Bane might not forgive him for asking his help, especially since he wouldn't lie and pretend he hadn't known before this who Miranda probably was.

Dammit, he should have thought this through more. His desire to spend time with Bane had screwed with his common sense.

"Nothing stands out to me that you wouldn't have noticed."

Deciding to take that as a compliment Blake pushed away from the wall to stand at Bane's side. "She picks areas that are likely to be deserted even though they're near areas with decent or better traffic. Odds are high that she scopes the places out beforehand, it can't be a coincidence that not a single kill site has a working camera nearby, much less pointed in the direction of the murders. And obviously she wants her kills to be found, disposing them would be easy for someone with this sort of skill and planning ability. She wants everyone to know what she's doing, and it's not about wanting to get caught or the fame of seeing her name in the papers and on television. It's about the fear. She's feeding off the fear she's inspired, and the knowledge that she can get away with it again and again because in her mind no one's smarter or more skilled than she is."

"Are you hoping she'll get overconfident and make a mistake?"

"That would be nice, though she's made a couple already that I can't tell you about."

The look in Bane's eyes was intrigued, but he didn't question him, which Blake appreciated.

"Well let's head out then, I need to get back for a meeting. We still on for tomorrow?"

"We are."


	31. Confronting The Truth

Confronting The Truth

Stripped down to sweatpants as he beat the hell out of the punching bag in front of him with Barsad holding it in place for him just barely, Bane's mind was empty for the moment as he concentrated solely on what he was doing. Not that he needed to focus, he could do this in his sleep so to speak, but for the moment Bane didn't want to think about anything. Didn't want to think about anyone or anything that had happened or might happen in the future. Which was why when Barsad had suggested this he'd gone along with the idea, and Bane didn't regret it. It was better therapy than beating the hell out of his men when they'd done nothing to earn the bruises and broken bones he'd give them if he thought too hard about his life at the moment. At the crossroads Bane knew that he'd be facing in the future despite the fact that he wanted to believe it didn't exist, his road supposed to be straight and mapped out for years now.

"Water break."

Registering the words Bane pulled the punch he'd been about to deliver and nodded, having no energy to argue with his friend. Not that anyone ever successfully argued with Barsad. Even when he was right and knew it Barsad still managed to make Bane feel like he was wrong somehow.

Plus he was a little thirsty now that he was paying attention.

Joining Barsad off to the side Bane caught the water bottle tossed in his direction, guzzling down half the bottle's contents before he came up for air to find Barsad studying him thoughtfully, his own water bottle at his lips, though he wasn't drinking.

"What?"

"Some Swiftin kids came by here today."

Blinking in surprise, Bane spoke without thinking. "Robin will shoot me if I try to recruit any of those boys."

Eyes actually dancing, Barsad snorted in amusement. And probably in agreement. "That's not why they came by. They were looking to warn you off your cop."

Huh?

"They look up to him. It would seem that they think of him as an older brother, and they don't like you leading him astray. They're worried you'll hurt him or get him hurt, so they came by to demand to know your intentions, and to make sure you understood they know people who'll make you sorry if you don't take proper care of him."

Swithins was a home for boys, not men. There would be some that had been aged beyond their years courtesy of the streets they'd grown up on, but the oldest ones would still be younger than he was. Or they could be men who used to live at the home, but if that had been the case Barsad wouldn't have called them kids.

"How old were they?"

"I'd guess the oldest was about fifteen."

Bane tried to wrap his head around that about couldn't.

"They seemed fairly confident that you wouldn't hurt them since then Blake would dump you. They also made it clear that there were people who knew where they were and would report you if something happened to them." Barsad's smile was appealing, though startling as hell since normally the other man never smiled that broadly. It was disconcerting to say the least.

Shaking his head Bane was torn between being glad he'd missed dealing with the children and being a little sorry he hadn't so that he could have seen for himself just how brave they would have been faced with him in person. And regardless of the stupidity they'd shown coming here to threaten him, the fact that they cared so much about Blake that they'd been willing to face him down impressed him.

Which reminded him… "What did you tell them?"

"I told them to talk to the cop about their…concerns. Not like I could promise we wouldn't harm him after all."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"You know what I mean. And I don't make promises I can't keep."

Bane wanted to state that no harm would come to his cop while Robin was under his protection, but that vow would fall flat given what had nearly happened that very morning. He'd not only failed to keep his lover safe, but the Batman had had to save him from one of Bane's own men.

Not to mention the unspoken fact that the future his mentor had laid out for Bane would not please Robin in the slightest. Might end up causing the other man both physical and mental harm given the stupidity his cop tended to display when he was in hero mode. And that Blake would be against him…well that went without saying.

"I'll make it clear that he's not to come or leave here without one of us as a guard. And I'll speak with the rest of our ranked men myself. Make it clear that they aren't to lay a hand on him."

"Even if she orders them to do otherwise?"

It took considerable effort not to verbally lash out as Bane asked if Barsad thought that his men would obey Talia over him, not sure what he wanted the other man's response to be, in all honesty. Or he did, but he didn't want to.

"They'll listen to you first, if you tell them to do so."

"Then I will. At least for now. She's in St. Catherine's right now, anyway. There's no reason for her to contact any of them."

Barsad's face said that Talia's current situation wouldn't stop her from getting her way, in his opinion, but his second didn't argue with him. He just nodded and stated that he understood.

Nodding in return Bane set aside his water and headed back to the punching bag, neither mentioning the fact that deep down they both knew that at the end of the day Barsad was the only one Bane could trust Robin's safety and wellbeing to.

)

A couple of hours later Bane occupied himself with showering off the considerable amount of sweat he'd worked up while mentally debating as to whether or not he should call Robin. They'd talked earlier, and there was nothing new to discuss about what had happened that morning and he'd see him tomorrow, but Bane had this itching need to call his cop to make sure he was still fine and had remembered to lock his doors and windows for the night. In truth he had this nagging need to get clean, dressed, and go to Blake's apartment to act as his protector, but Bane knew that that was a bad idea on a number of levels even if Robin allowed it. Which, given how pissed off Robin got when Bane tried to take matters into his own hands when it came to his cop's safety, would not end well for him. And even if he lied about his reason for showing up…huh…that could work.

Turning off the water Bane retrieved his towel and started to dry off, stepping out of the shower and nearly dry when he heard his cell phone go off, Bane tossing the towel into the laundry basket he kept in the bathroom before walking over to the counter picked up his phone, the number listed not one he was familiar with. But this wasn't a number he advertised either.

Accepting the call Bane put it to his ear, getting straight to the point. "Who is this?"

The voice that answered back was ripe with female amusement. "Is that any way to greet me?"

"Talia." Bane thought but didn't say that this wasn't one of the juvenile center's phone numbers, and even if it was the late hour would have prevented her from using their phones with permission. Not that they were likely to catch her, but risking it was foolishness.

And Bane couldn't help but remember the fact that she might have been the one who'd given Stefan orders to attack or kill Robin that very morning, which had his fingers tightening instinctively around the phone, Bane having to work hard to loosen his grip as soon as he realized what he was doing.

"Have I called at a bad time? Your cop visiting, perhaps?"

"No. Why are you calling?"

"Can't I just want to talk with you?"

"You can do that during the day when you won't get into trouble for doing so."

Talia gave an oddly elegant snort in response. "As though the stupid sheep who work here would ever find out. Since when did you start to doubt my abilities, Bane? I must confess, I feel rather hurt that you would doubt me."

Habit had him starting to apologize, but he just…couldn't, and desperation had Bane relaying something that he knew would grab her attention away from him in a snap. "The Batman was spotted in our territory this morning."

"I heard. Barsad failed to tail and capture him."

"You heard? From who?"

"That's not important. What is important is that you find out what he's doing in our territory." The words were hissed out, Talia's barely controlled anger coming through loud and clear. "He isn't allowed to come there, Bane. He needs to be stopped NOW."

"Perhaps he's looking for Miranda. She's avoided this area so far, but perhaps he thinks she'll branch out soon now, that the cops are trolling her known hunting grounds too."

Silence falling, Bane was about to ask if she was still there when Talia's voice came over the line, her tone confident and dismissive as she stated that the Batman wouldn't stand a chance of finding Miranda. He was just an annoying freak in a costume after all.

They both knew that her father's former pupil was much more than that, and that even if Barsad had managed to corner the older man he most likely wouldn't have stood a chance against Wayne in a fair fight, but Bane didn't bother to remind her of that. She wouldn't listen to him anyway. So instead he asked her if she was aware of what had happened to Stefan. He didn't want to ask, but he needed to know if that's where things stood with her. He needed to know if he needed to decide where he stood if his sister intended to declare war on his lover.

"You'll get him out."

"He tried to kill a cop. How do you propose I get him out?" Not that he didn't want to, Bane silently admitted to himself, as he really wanted to beat the truth out of the man before making him permanently disappear.

"Find a way."

"Why? His actions this morning make it clear he can't be trusted. I gave orders that Blake wasn't to be touched, and he disobeyed me."

"He was correcting your mistake." Was Talia's cold response to that. "You should have never gotten involved with that government dog in the first place. If Stefan had succeeded he would have been doing you a favor."

In that moment Bane knew for sure what he'd been trying to ignore the whole day since Barsad had told him what had almost happened. "You order him to kill Blake, didn't you?"

"Trying to catch my confession on tape? You're his dog now too? Protecting him, using our contacts to try and find out about Miranda for him. Will you join the Academy and see if they have a uniform big enough for you, Bane? Won't that make your cop proud."

Flinching at the venom, hating that it was directed at him, Bane had to take a deep breath before answering her in his most calming voice. "I'm not his dog, Talia. We're sleeping together. And he was under…don't bother ordering any more hits. I've already given the men orders to disregard any order you give them that contradicts mine. You haven't been thinking straight lately and I-"

"YOU DID WHAT?!" The scream of fury had Bane instinctively moving the phone away from his ear, though he still heard her clearly enough. "How dare you?! Those men are mine, not yours! Your job is to keep them in line for me; train them for ME! How dare you think they belong to you! That you can just step in and take over! You belong to me; you do what I tell you! You're nothing without me, do you hear me?! A piece of street trash my father trained to serve me. To do as I say! You think you can turn MY men against me? Take them from me? I'll kill you first!"

Shocked to his very bones, horror and grief threatening to seep through at any moment, the best Bane could manage was to say her name, his tone silently pleading with her to take her words back. To apologize or give some excuse that he could fool himself into believing. Anything to numb the words she'd just spoken from the bottom of her heart.

"This is all his fault." Talia's voice dropped to near muttering, the change jarring after her screaming. "That fucking cop. He's filled your stupid with stupid ideas of some fucked up happily ever after with him, and it's turned you against me. I just have to get rid of him and you'll realize where your place is. That you belong to me and have to do what I tell you."

"I'm not a thing you can own."

Harsh laughter. "You owe me everything, Bane. Sex has just killed whatever brain cells you had. No surprise, that's just how men are, isn't it? Dangle sex in front of you and there's nothing you won't do, like Pavlovian dogs." Another hard burst of feral laughter that held a chilling hint of madness Bane had never heard from her before but terrified him. "Well it's time to neuter my dog it seems, and remove his bitch from the picture for good measure."

A click. She'd hung up on him.

Slowly pulling the cell phone away from his ear Bane stared down at it dumbly, his mind utterly blank as he tried to numbly figure out where the horrible, agonizing noises echoing in the quiet room was coming from.

Several minutes passed before Bane realized the horrible truth. They were coming from him.

)

Biting down on his bottom lip to stifle the sounds as much as he could, Bane blindly looked around for something else to focus on. Something to hold and anchor himself to as he faced the undeniable fact that tonight he'd seen behind the masks Talia had been wearing, and what was beneath was ugly and twisted and didn't love him. Didn't care for him in the slightest, seeing him as nothing more than an attack dog she could send out to maim, kill, and die for her if she wished. And he would have. He would have died for her, gone to prison for her. Done anything for her because of the love he'd felt and now knew was fake as well, because you couldn't love someone who didn't exist. Robin had been right about Talia all along and he'd been…Robin.

Heat burning through the icy chill that had descended upon him, Bane's mind suddenly kicked into high gear, the things that Talia had been saying playing back in his mind in a horrible loop that made one thing absolutely clear.

Talia was very much a threat to his Robin. Now more than ever.

Instinct overriding everything else Bane brought his hand up to use his cell phone again, genuinely startled to see that he'd smashed it in his fist without noticing, his hand bloodied and the phone breaking apart and falling to the floor like mechanical pieces of confetti when he opened his fingers up.

Cursing, Bane ran out of the room and into his bedroom, hunting up the spare phone he kept around for calls he didn't want traced back to him.

It seemed to take forever, but then Robin's voice came over the line, sleepy but alive as he identified himself by rank and name before asking who this was.

"Talia was the one who ordered Stefan to kill you this morning. She knows the men won't follow her orders again, so she might come after you. She's been highly trained, Robin, far better than you've been. She could kill you easily and-"

"I know, Bane. I know what's she's capable of." All trace of sleep gone, his cop spoke like one now, both patient and authoritative. Like he was talking to a victim. "Tell me exactly what she said. Was she at your place or did she call you?"

Too turned around to even think about what he was doing, Bane related the conversation word for word, everything she said already etched into his brain like acid. He would never forget them.

"Call Barsad and have him stay with you." Robin ordered as soon as Bane had finished. "Right now her anger is focused mostly on me, but she's off her leash from the sounds of it and she could turn on you just as easily. And right now you need your friend. I'll call this in and have her picked up for questioning, and then I can come to you if you want me to. If you don't want me there right now I understand, but I'd like to be there for you if you'll let me."

Feeling horribly frail, Bane's voice actually shook a little when he spoke. "I want to come to your place." He didn't want to be here, in this place that held so many memories of Talia and her father. Because now he was starting to wonder if his adopted father had seen him as a tool too. A blade for them to wield until the world was theirs or he broke and was discarded. He was nothing again, Bane realized dimly, his knees threatening to buckle under him.

Yes. Yes he wanted Robin right now. He needed him so bad right now it was all he could think about.

"Okay. Stay where you are and I'll call Barsad. I'll get him to drive you to my place, okay? Promise me you'll stay there until he gets there. Please."

"I promise."


	32. Making A Choice

Making A Choice

Knowing that he had to keep Gordon updated, as much as Bane might see that as a betrayal of his trust, Blake got on the phone with his boss as soon as his call with Barsad had ended to fill the commissioner in on what Bane had told him. They'd always known that he might end up one of Talia's targets, either because of Bane or if she found out that he was the one pushing for her arrest for the Miranda Murders, and Gordon had made him swear that if he thought she was so much as stalking him he'd tell him so that police protection could be arranged. Pointless, in Blake's opinion, given that she'd spot the cops from a mile away if she did decide to come after him, though he figured she was far more likely to arrange for his death as opposed to do it herself. She'd consider killing him beneath her, not to mention she wouldn't want to have his death traced back to her. She might have shown her true face to Bane tonight, but Blake wasn't about to believe that all her hooks in his boyfriend were out now. And he doubted she'd disagree with him. As it was he'd made it clear that it was very unlikely that Bane would repeat what he'd told him for an official statement. Bane wouldn't turn over evidence to the cops normally, but especially not when the person who'd end up in jail as a result was the girl Bane had been protecting for years.

"I would be correct in assuming it's a dumb question to ask if Bane would accept police protection on the off chance that she goes after him?"

Pacing in front of his bedroom window in the light of his bedside lamp, Blake couldn't quite stifle his snort of wry amusement. "Yes. But Barsad, his best friend, is bringing him here to my place so he'll be under police protection that way."

"Blake." Gordon's tone said it all.

"He won't hurt me."

"To win back her loyalty he might. Especially if he took what she said to him as hard as you say it sounds like he did."

"I'll be fine. I have my gun on me too, if necessary." Please God let it not be necessary. Please let him be able to show it to Bane to prove he was taking the threat Talia posed seriously while promising to shoot to wound. Mostly because he didn't want Bane to see his sister's murderer every time he looked at him. Because right now, for devastating Bane the way she had, shooting that bitch sounded like a great idea to him.

Not that he was going to say that outloud.

"Just remember how many people she's killed and how she killed them."

"Hard to forget." And time to lighten the mood a little for both their sakes. "Anything else before I go to the kitchen to throw together some snacks? He and Barsad might want to stay up for a while, and teenagers eat a lot." In truth he didn't know how things were going to go when Bane got here, which should be soon given the last text update from Barsad. But he figured he'd cover as many bases as he could think of, and hope for the best.

"No, I think…damn. Hold on a minute."

Waiting patiently Blake kept his phone to his ear as he left his bedroom and walked down his hallway, heading for the kitchen where enough light was coming through the window above the sink for him to navigate around without turning on the lights. One of the perks of living in the city in the not so great part of town. Lots of glaring man made light at all hours of the day

"Blake, she's not at St. Catherine's. She's currently AWOL."

"Shit." That wasn't good.

"We have an APB out on her, and the eyes I've assigned for you should be there soon. ETA twenty minutes at most. Traffic's a bitch, an unexpected protest downtown."

"At this hour?"

"This is Gotham."

"Too true."

Keeping his phone stuck between his shoulder and his ear, Blake was about to ask what the protest was for when he heard the sound of his front door opening. A door he deliberately left poorly oiled so that anytime it opened he was pretty much guaranteed to hear it if he was in the vicinity. And Bane would not just let himself in.

"I think she's here."

And not waiting to hear Gordon's reply Blake dropped his cellphone into the front pocket of his sweats with one hand and drew his gun with the other, taking the few steps necessary to stand in the kitchen doorway as he flicked on the lights and pointed as the shadowy figure in his living room came into sharp focus. As did the large blade in Talia's hand as she slowly turned around to face him, her body language reminding Blake of a velociraptor from one of the Jurassic Park movies. Which was not a comforting comparison to make on a number of levels.

"Police! Freeze! Put the knife down!"

"Or you'll what? Shoot me?"

"Put the knife down, Talia. You've fucked things up bad enough already without trying to kill a cop. You do that and you're done. There's no going back from that, and there's nothing Bane will be able to do to save you." The way she was watching him told Blake what he already knew, which was that no, she wasn't going to back down no matter what he told her or threatened her with. The way she was holding herself, looking at him, he was already dead in her eyes. She wasn't going to do the smart thing here. She was here to do what she wanted and to hell with the consequences. Fuck.

"You won't shoot me. And we both know you've never killed anyone. I read your file."

"There's a first time for everything." Though God, he was really wishing he didn't know what she was capable of. Because knowing meant he couldn't hesitate to shoot her when she came at him, which could be at any minute now. So stalling was the best thing he could do, Blake hoping the cops got here before she forced his hand.

"I'd rather take you in peacefully, Talia. For Bane's sake if nothing else. I have the gun, you have a knife. We both know which weapon wins here. Right now, as a minor and a wealthy one at that, you have a chance to slide on this. Downgrade it to attempted assault or even just breaking and entering, you get the right lawyer. You don't want to make this worse for yourself here. Put the knife down. Save yourself."

"You think you're the one in control here?" She sounded like an amused little girl, a giggle actually escaping her blood red lips as Talia smiled at him like he was a simpleminded child. "You think you've won? That you can take Bane from me, turn him against me, and I'll just take it?" This time her sounds of amusement were laced with madness without any attempt to disguise how far she'd fallen at this point. "Of course you do, right? Typical man. You live to fuck people over, just take what you want from a girl and leave her bleeding and broken on the fucking floor. Only I'm not broken, Officer Blake. And you're the one who's going to end up dead tonight."

Knowing that Gordon would still be on the line Blake figured he'd aim for a confession until his fucking cavalry arrived. Anything to keep her talking and insuring that she'd be sewed up tight case wise. If she got out of this alive. Please God don't make killing her the only option. "Is that why you killed all those men, Talia? Or should I call you Miranda?"

Her body freezing up, Talia stared at him in shock.

"So what, you thought you'd keep them from breaking any more women? You weren't strong enough to protect your mother, so you're killing men that remind you of the men who raped and killed her?"

"DON'T TALK ABOUT MY MOTHER!"

"Bane saved you. He risked his life for you. And now you're throwing that life away. For what? Killing other people won't bring her back. It won't change what happened to you, or your mother."

"I was doing the world a favor! Those men didn't deserve to live! To breath the same air as me! It was THEIR weakness that killed them. Coming after me panting and palming their crotches, acting like they were doing ME a FAVOR paying me any attention. Me! As though I'd ever let scum like that touch me! Let myself be used like that! And it was going perfectly until YOU!" Knife hand shaking with her fury, Talia's harsh breathing was all he heard as she struggled to get herself under control.

"Most of those men deserved to be behind bars, no arguments about that here. But you murdered them, Talia. In cold blood."

"I took out the trash." Was her stone cold response. "And then you had to go and sic Bane on me. You knew a stupid, brainless pig like you could never stop me, could never figure out that I was Miranda, so you let him fuck you and then you asked him to ask questions. Used his street contacts to find me! Me! After everything my father did for him! He was nothing! Nothing before we took him in!"

With every new screaming sentence she drew just a little closer to him, Blake's finger instinctively tightening just a little on the trigger. Internally he was processing her claim, it not taking a genius to figure out that Bane must have decided to send out feelers on the streets, trying to help him with the Miranda Murders since his lover seemed unable to process the fact that Blake actually could handle himself. Though given that this was Bane they were talking about, it was sweet that he mattered enough for Bane to publically be known to be helping the police that way.

But nevermind that, he needed to pay more attention to the bitch currently screaming bloody murder at him, threatening him with some very not nice things while waving the knife around to make her point clear. No pun intended. Though at least she wasn't moving any closer, necessitating him to pull the trigger.

The fact that she laughed in his face when Blake tried to order her to put the knife down again didn't bode well for him though. Not that this could end well. He wasn't stupid.

And then of course the front door squeaked open again, and Bane and Barsad came rushing into the room.

Fuck.

)

Four things happened all but simultaneous then, with Talia whirling around to point in the knife in the direction of the other two teenagers, Barsad drawing a gun out from his jacket and aiming it in Talia's direction in response to the perceived threat she posed while Blake ordered her again to put the knife down, fear coming into his voice now because she was too close to Bane and the idea of the other man being hurt scared the hell out of him. And Bane…Bane just stared and then asked Talia what she was doing, sounding completely bewildered, not even glancing in the direction of the two men with guns. All his attention was on Talia.

"Bane! Get away from her now! TALIA, PUT THE FUCKING KNIFE DOWN NOW OR I WILL SHOOT!"

"He's NOT yours to order around!" Talia snarled, not even appearing to flinch in reaction to Blake basically screaming at her, her gaze focused completely on Bane for the moment. "He belongs to ME, don't you, Bane."

"Talia…what are you doing?"

"What am I doing? What does it look like I'm doing?!" Talia snarled out, gesturing with the blade for emphasis. "I'm getting rid of your stupid little boyfriend so that things will go back to normal. You'll forget all about him and do as I say once he's not leading you around by your fucking cock."

Flinching, Bane stared at her like she was a ghost, not someone of flesh and blood he'd known for years.

And taking advantage of Bane's reaction Talia's gaze flickered over to Barsad. "Put that down."

"No. I don't take orders from you. None of us do. We're Bane's men, not yours. We just listen to you when he tells us to. You're just his psycho, pain in the ass little sister."

The screech of fury she made proceeded her leap in Barsad's direction, knife raised to jam it into his chest with all the strength she had in her body.

But instead she slammed into Bane, who inserted himself with lightning speed, one arm wrapping forcefully around her waist while the other grasped the wrist of the hand holding the knife, Bane very carefully but deliberately increasing the pressure on the bones there until Talia had no choice but to drop the knife to the floor, where it lay for a moment before Bane kicked it off to the side while Talia kicked out and squirmed to try and get free while hurling obscenities and threats in his direction.

Not about to second guess himself Blake told them he'd be right back and then ran out of the room to his bedroom, retrieving his handcuff as quickly as possible before running back the way he'd come, relieved beyond words that they were still there. Not that the screaming had once abated while he was gone, Talia showing she had some serious lungs on her. Neighbors were going to be pissed.

Coming up behind the bitch in question Blake had no problem getting the first cuff on her wrist, pinned down as it was against Bane's body, but the second…

"Bane. I need you to bring her arm around so that I can cuff her."

The look his boyfriend gave him made it clear that Bane didn't understand him or any of this yet, not really, and Blake's heart ached for him. Bane had moved to protect Barsad because the other teenager was his best friend, and Bane had made Talia drop the knife because that was just common sense, but beyond that, Blake was pretty sure that Bane's mind was shielding him from really understanding what was going down here.

"I've got this." His gun gone, which was a good thing since the damn thing would be illegal as hell, Barsad moved to Bane's side and reaching out very gently and carefully placed his hands on Bane's arm and pushed it down and around, positioning Bane's arm like his friend was a mannequin so that Talia's arm had no choice but to move as well, Blake snapping the second cuff into place.

The click of the cuff as it slid into place had a full body shudder running through Talia's body and then she was collapsing against Bane, her face buried against his neck as her harsh breathing replaced her mad screaming.

The difference was jarring, enough that Bane came back to himself enough to wrap both arms around her waist, holding her against him now as he spoke, his eyes so sad and heartbroken as he placed his cheek on her hair.

"Why did you think I'd betrayed you? I would never do that. I told Robin and the police nothing about you."

"You asked around about Miranda." Blake told him softly, wanting to touch Bane but resisting the urge since he didn't know if the contact would be wanted right now.

"Yes, but that has nothing to do with…" Trailing off as he read the truth in Blake's eyes, or accepted what he might have known for a while but refused to admit to himself, the way Bane said Talia's name was gut-wrenching in its emotion.

)

All four of them had the training to hear it, the sound of multiple footsteps coming their way alerting them to the fact that the calvary had finally arrived. Knowing how his fellow officers might reaction to Bane and Barsad Blake immediately moved to get between the cops and Bane as he stated that the suspect had been restrained and that the two male teenagers were not to be harmed. And that Talia needed to be read her rights, not stating that he hadn't wanted to do that himself in front of Bane.

Gordon, who Blake hadn't expected but was grateful to see, nodded his head and took over.

When it was time to hand Talia over no one was quite sure what Bane would do, but with both Blake and Barsad telling him that there was nothing he could do, that he needed to let her go, he finally relented and let them take her from his arms. For her part Talia was oddly cooperative, like she'd retreated inside her head because she couldn't handle what was happening any more than Bane could.

Though she did look back at Bane as they were leading her away, Bane starting to stumble after her instinctively, having spent years protecting her.

Blake and Barsad's fingers wrapping around his arms slowed Bane down enough that she was out of sight before he could physically drag all three of them after her. And as her absence registered Bane went still, not knowing what to do and looking at them for answers.

Knowing how important Talia was to Bane, even if she didn't deserve his love and loyalty, Blake used his eyes to get Barsad to help him herd Bane over to the couch while he suggested that Bane call in a lawyer to arrange for Talia's legal representation. She'd need it.

"I don't have my phone."

"I'll call him then."

Pulling out his phone Barsad dialed the number for the lawyer original employed to look after them by Talia's father, Bane watching him long enough to make sure Barsad was talking to the right person before he turned his head to look at Blake, his eyes that of a victim who couldn't understood what had happened. Who knew their whole world was now changed and was scared as hell not knowing what was to come.

Getting up from the seat he'd initially taken beside Bane, Blake hesitated for a moment, well aware of the audience around them, and then said 'fuck it' under his breath as he straddled Bane's legs and opening his arms wrapped them around Bane, drawing Bane's head up against his chest as he held his man and mentally prayed that the worst was over.


	33. Epilogue

Epilogue

Six years Later

"All right, class, that's it for today. I expect chapters ten and eleven read and ready to be discussed on Friday. And that does include you, Mr. Court." The professor sent a very pointed look in the direction of the back of the row where the biggest slacker in the class tended to seat himself. And then the teacher was looking in Bane's direction, surprising him. "Mr. Blake, if you would remain after class for a moment that would be appreciated. It won't take but a minute."

Nodding his head automatically, Bane wracked his brain trying to think about what his professor might want to talk to him about. He was at the top of his class after all, and he didn't have anything overdo or coming up assignment wise since he'd handed in his last major essay for the class last week.

But there was no point in useless speculation, so Bane simply waited until the majority of the room had cleared out of his fellow students before shouldering his satchel and walking down the short steps leading to the main floor and his teacher, who was leaning against his desk with some stapled together pages in his hand.

"Sir?"

"This is yours."

Taking the paper from him, Bane immediately recognized it as his essay, the nearly perfect mark he'd been given making a quick smile light up his face before it fell into his usual cool lines. He'd known he'd killed the assignment, but Professor Daniels could be…eccentric sometimes with both his teaching and his marking. For that matter he was only law professor Bane had that actually still required paper copies rather than just digital.

"You are perhaps one of the toughest, most draconian thinking student I've ever had, Mr. Blake. Our way of arguing and looking at the justice system bear few similarities to each other, and yet I find your logic unarguable and myself all the more disturbed for it. I haven't stopped thinking about some of your arguments since I read them. Excellent job."

"Thank you, Sir."

"You're going to make a hell of a lawyer, young man. I sincerely pity anyone who ever goes up against you. I thought I should tell you since the term is almost over."

Reading between the lines, and aware of this particular professor's political views, Bane found himself reassuring the old man since it was obvious Daniels was trying to hide how horrified he was at the idea of the corporate world getting their hands on someone like Bane to fight their battles for them. "Sir, I'm going to start my own firm, which will specialize in representing low income clients."

Blinking in surprise, and his jaw actually dropping a little, it was vividly apparent that the professor hadn't seen that curveball coming. "I had assumed, since you double majored in political science and history, along with a minor in psychology, that you were more interested in a political career, Mr. Blake, and that the law degree was a stepping stone to that."

"Possible, but unlikely. My husband is of the mind that the world isn't ready to be run by me. However much good I could do while forcing them to change."

The look on his teacher's face made it clear that Daniels agreed with his Robin one hundred percent there.

Amused rather than insulted, Bane asked the professor if there was anything else. He didn't want to rush the man, but he had to get home ASAP as he had a meeting to host there in less than an hour.

"No, no. That's everything. I hope the rest of your day goes well."

"Thank you. Yours as well."

)

Ten minutes later Bane was behind the wheel of his car, done for the day with classes and looking forward to the coming summer which would be spent working with Barsad in the gym instead of being cooped up in a classroom. Not that he wasn't learning, and didn't find most of his classes at least somewhat interesting, but the last five years had been jammed pack full of schoolwork that had seriously cut into his workout routine. Not that he had anyone to blame but himself for that, since he'd taken extra classes and piled on his workload, but now that he was in law school Bane was determined to slow down a little, and wasn't taking any summer classes.

And having neglected to pick music to accompany him, Bane easily heard the sound of a familiar ringtone going off in the silence of the vehicle.

"Speak of the devil." Putting in his Bluetooth Bane accepted the call, a smile on his face as he greeted Barsad.

"Hello to you too. Good time, or are you busy?"

"On my way home, so now works for the next twenty minutes. What do you need?"

"Just wanted to confirm what time I'm picking you up on Saturday."

Since no one could see him do it, Bane rolled his eyes behind the sunglasses he wore. "You do realize that it's been years now, right? I don't need you or Robin to babysit me. Neither of you wants to be there and I'm capable of driving myself." Which was why he hadn't called Barsad to confirm a time earlier.

He had needed them the first couple of years, Bane wouldn't deny that when he looked back. The investigation, trial, and Talia's eventual sentencing of life in a mental facility had wounded him in ways Bane had never been able to put into words to anyone. The one saving grace of it all was that her captivity, and the realization that she would never be free again, had broken Talia's mind to the point where she didn't suffer the way she had been up until that point. His sister had retreated into her mind, and now lived in a world where she was Queen and the facility her kingdom. She let him visit her now and didn't remember Robin, tolerating his and Barsad's presence with absent distain when before she'd tried to attack them ever time she'd seen either of them.

These days Bane visited her every two weeks, and neither Robin nor his best friend allowed him to go without one of them with him.

"What's your hubby think of you going alone?"

Even knowing that Barsad meant the term 'hubby' teasingly, Bane couldn't help but feel the familiar rush of happiness and glee at hearing Robin referred to as his husband. They'd gotten married that fall, Robin having insisted that they wait until he'd at least gotten his bachelor degrees and had time to 'spread his wings' before committing himself to him for life. Mostly because his cop had made it clear that once they were married his Robin would dedicate his life to punishing Bane if he ever got it into his head to leave him.

As if he ever would.

And well aware of what his husband thought when it came to the idea of him visiting Talia without backup, Bane didn't bother to argue. "Ten work for you?"

The sound of amusement was a little grating, but Barsad was apparently not in the mood to needle him. Too much, anyway. "Ten it is. We can talk over the expansion ideas on the way."

Now that he was in school full time Bane had turned over management of the gym and the neighborhood over to Barsad, who had been happy enough to take on the responsibility no matter how much he might occasionally grip and groan about it. His friend hadn't enjoyed stepping out of his habitual shadows at first, but in Bane's opinion Barsad had grown to like taking a more leadership role.

And the brilliant and fiery redhead Robin had introduced Barsad to at their wedding was making his friend quite happy these days, last time he checked.

"How is Barbara? Looking forward to classes being done soon?"

"We both are. Especially since I don't speak computer geek the way she does. And she's going to start coming to the gym fairly regularly. She still reminds me of Blake when he started."

Understanding what his friend meant, Robin had been trained as a cop and not as a warrior, Bane supposed that the commissioner's niece had been trained to protect herself, but not ruthlessly or with a warrior's mindset. Barsad would see to that that changed, especially since Robin's friend was as competitive and driven as Robin himself.

His little bird was a fierce warrior now, Bane thought with pride, Robin putting in more gym time than Bane himself lately.

Which was definitely going to change this summer, Bane informed Barsad when his friend pointed out that he'd know how Barbara was doing if he stopped in more often. The comment that he was going to become one of those soft businessmen who sat behind a desk all day was not appreciated.

He needed to get some of his bulk back, maybe, but it wouldn't take much effort at all on his part to reach peak efficiency and power again. Not that he'd let himself go, Bane reassured himself as Barsad continued to poke at him, hating any suggestion that he'd let himself go soft in the past six years.

He might be law abiding, but he had not lost his teeth or his strength. And he never would if he had anything to say about it.

The rest of the drive to the house was spent talking about nothing of real consequence, Bane saying his goodbyes as he pulled into the driveway, both of them having things to do elsewhere.

Once Barsad had hung up Bane pulled the Bluetooth from his ear and stored the device away before turning his attention to the front of the house, the sight making him pause as it sometimes did. The idea that it belonged to him and Robin shocking him all over again, as he'd never expected to have a real home, much less with a husband and a dog.

It was small, and had been rough around the edges when they'd bought it, but they'd fixed it up nicely and it was theirs, which was the main thing. They could have never afforded it and his education on Robin's detective salary of course, and as a full time student Bane hadn't been able to work elsewhere. But as co-owner of the gym, plus the money he'd 'inherited' from Talia's father to make the man's dream a reality, they'd been able to swing it. Robin hadn't liked the idea of an uneven split, since technically Bane had far more money than his husband, but he'd agreed to let Robin take care of the other bills until they were more even in their spending, which satisfied his bird's pride and sense of fairness.

Sometimes Bane felt guilt about spending the money in a way its original owner wouldn't approve of, but when that happened he remembered, or Robin reminded him, that the money had been intended to be used to make the world a better place. That was what Bane would be doing with the education he was getting, using his law degree to stand up for those who didn't have the power or resources to do it themselves. It would just be improving things on a smaller scale than his former mentor had intended.

Or at least that was the plan.

)

And aware that he had things to do, and that sitting around in his car served no real purpose and was only wasting valuable time, Bane gave his head a hard shake to clear his mind and then opening the door stepped out and stretched for a moment before retrieving his schoolbag from the back. Closing that door and then locking it all up, Bane paused to exchange nods with a neighbor before heading for the front door and letting himself in to find, much to his surprise, that Tucker was waiting for him.

The Golden Labradoodle's tail wagged back and forth madly in greeting, though they'd trained him too well for Tucker to bark or do anything else as he offered up his paw to be shaken, Bane hunkering down to do so. A firm shake hello, and then Bane gave the dog's ears a thorough rub and some petting before asking him to go find Robin, Tucker immediately whirling around and heading for the stairs leading to the second floor.

Well that answered the question of why Tucker was inside the house rather than in the backyard where he'd left him that morning. Robin wasn't scheduled to be off shift for another twenty minutes, but obviously he'd come home early for some reason.

Following after the dog, who arrowed down the short hallway to the bedroom, Bane watched Tucker push the door open wider as he passed through it, the sound of Robin's voice reaching Bane's ears then, making him smile.

Pushing the door open that much further, Bane took one look at his lover's face and cursed. "Dammit, Robin."

"Hey, don't give me that. It was a little old lady."

"An elderly woman gave you that large bruise on your cheek?" Crossing his arms in front of him, Bane did his best to appear stern while struggling not to notice the fact that his husband was only wearing a towel after a shower that had left him all flushed and wet.

"Yup." The way Robin rolled his eyes made it clear he was dead serious. "There I was, on 35th street, minding my own business, when I see a little old lady looking lost and scared, because yeah, this is Gotham. Not a vacation hot spot for anyone with a working brain. But she's old and I'm a cop, so what do I do, I go over to offer my help. And what does she do? She fucking tosses what's left of her iced tea in my face, and then she bitch slaps me with her fucking handbag while screaming that I'm mugging her, for Christ sakes. Then, to shut her up, I move my jacket so she can see my badge, only she sees my sidearm, and fucking faints dead away on top of me. My ass is already turning colors too."

Okay, he had to laugh at the picture being painted for him no matter how fond he was of Robin's ass. This was definitely going into the Top Ten Best Police Stories Robin had ever come home to tell him about.

"Yeah, yeah, hilarious." The small smirk on his face ruined the offended look Robin was pretending to sport. "Anyway, by the time I had her taken care of the Sergeant told me I could clock out early to make up for last week's overtime, so here I am. Our shower's better than the ones at the shop."

"Too true." And moving in Bane placed a kiss against the colorful bruise before drawing his man into his arms for a quick cuddle, just standing there holding him for a couple minutes before pulling away with considerable reluctance. "I'm heading downstairs. The others should be getting here in about fifteen minutes."

The Innocence Project had a chapter in his law school, and Bane had been eager to join it when he'd started his law classes. Today he was hosting a meeting with four other members for the first time, trying to find a way to exonerate a man who'd been in prison for eleven years for a series of murders they were increasingly sure he hadn't commit.

"And I brought you a little surprise for that."

"Oh?"

"I told you I'd look into and talk to the cops involved in the case, didn't I? Asked around? Well it turns out there was a few other murders during that time, four to be exact, that bore enough similarities with the Wilson case that they originally considered that they might be connected, only Wilson couldn't have committed two of them, and the others weren't likely either, so they were put down to a copycat or coincidence. Never solved. One of the rookies on the taskforce, he didn't think it was someone else, but he was just an officer, no clot. But I got you the case files."

"I love you." That called for another long, drawn out kiss.

"Love you too. Now go downstairs and put out all that disgustingly healthy food you threw together so that there will be more room in the fridge for the good stuff."

That called for a hard pinch to his little bird's butt, Bane enjoying the yelp he got in return.

"Annoying, Brat."

"Old Man."

Grinning at each other, the two shared another kiss and then Bane headed out with Tucker at his side, knowing that as soon as he was dressed Robin would come down and help him set up and then stay with him to help them work on the case because that was the sort of marriage they had.

That was who they were now.

And it was right, straight down the line.

The End


End file.
